Are you at risk for developing or exacerbating your fibromyalgia?
Could you be at risk for developing fibromyalgia? Do you already have it and have episodes where the pain seems to intensify? Approximately 6 million Americans suffer from this illness. That’s a lot of pain! Below are certain things that may lead you to develop fibromyalgia or if you have it, can definitely make it worse. I have also placed a link to the entire article for your reading pleasure.
- If you have persistent/constant pain, you are at risk for developing this illness. This could mean you have arthritis or wear in a car wreck years ago but have pain more often than not. You know that knot in your upper back that is always causing you grief that you just deal with? Yep, that can lead to Fibromyalgia as well. The fact is, the longer you have chronic pain of just about any type, you increase your odds of acquiring Fibromyalgia.
- If you have insomnia, sleep apnea or other sleep disorders, you are at risk. I learned from a conference I attended years ago they now believe this may be at the top of the list for risk factors and that lack of sleep may be THE precipitating factor in developing Fibromyalgia.
- Obesity. We are finding out really how bad this is for everything related to our health. Is it any wonder that excess weight can make pain worse?
- Smoking
- Taking too many opioid medications can lead to your body “over feeling” painful stimuli
- Statin myopathy – Have you been taking a statin medication to control your cholesterol and felt that you legs hurt more? This could lead to Fibromyalgia.
- Depression. Depression can physically hurt. We actually can use anti-depressants to help people with Fibromyalgia and chronic pain feel better
- Catastrophizing. This is where you imagine the worst case scenario. This may be about your pain, illness, social life, etc. I call this the “what if game”. What if my pain gets to be unbearable? What if I am in an accident and it makes everything worse? What if my I can’t control my diabetes and I have to spend weeks in a hospital? What if the Jazz don’t get home court in the playoffs? (ok, that last one has no bearing on chronic pain, but I still worry about it). For ways to combat this specifically, see my article on gratitude.
- Stress. We all do this. We stress about the future, possibly about the past. Stress is everywhere. I know my stress level goes up every time a get on the freeway. Stress leads to anxiety, depression, catastrophizing, etc.
These 9 items are found in the linked article. Please read the whole thing, it’s good stuff. Here is the good news. We can treat every one of those if you are ready. Some treatments involve medication, other treatments involve exercises to help your mind think through specific concern. Most, if not all, need a combination. If you need Fibromyalgia pain relief, please make an appointment. We can improve your quality of life. Come see why Peak Health and Wellness is different and how we can specifically improve your individual circumstances.