Reader’s Digest Australia & New Zealand – May 2019

May• 2019 | 23

somedoctorshavechalked
fibromyalgiauptooveractive
imaginations.However,this
positionisbecominglesscommon
asmorestudiesshowthatthe
conditionisfairlyfrequent.Most
medicalauthorities,includingthe
WorldHealthOrganization,now
recognisefibromyalgia.
Unfortunately,there’snoknown
cureandexistingtreatmentsare
aimedatrelievingsymptoms.
Patientsaretypicallyencouragedto
try non-pharmaceutical measures

first,thenadddrugssuchasmuscle

relaxantsorpainkillers,if necessary.

Todate,themosteffective

methodoftemperingpainseems

tobegradedexercise.Thisinvolves

startingatanappropriatelevel

• whichcansometimesbequite
  modest– andgraduallyworking
  up,saysDrGaryMacfarlane,
  leadauthoroftheEuropean
  LeagueAgainstRheumatism’s
  recommendationsformanaging
  thecondition.Regularexercise
  brings at least modest relief to the

Symptomsof fibromyalgia

youmightbeignoring

EXHAUSTIONIf

you’retiredallthe

timeandhavealready

triedinvestigating

obviousoptionssuch

aseatinghealthier

andsleepingmore,it

couldbea symptom

offibromyalgia.

HEADACHES

Debilitating

headachesthatareso

severeyouexperience

nauseaorvomiting

canbea symptom.

INCREASED

SENSITIVITY

Sensoryissuescan

bea symptomof

fibromyalgiasuch

as clothes feeling

‘heavier’thannormal

orexperiencing

painfromsimply

bumpinglightlyinto

something.

JOINTACHES

Experiencingjoint

painfornoreason

whichisn’talleviated

byOTCpainrelievers

is a commonsignof

fibromyalgia.

FEELINGCOLDThose

withfibromyalgia

symptomsexperience

increasedsensitivity

totemperaturedrops.

BOWELISSUES

Sufferingfrom

irritablebowel

syndrome (IBS) is

closelyassociated

withfibromyalgia.As

is diarrhoeaandthe

inabilitytoemptythe

bowelsbecauseof

musclestiffness.

MENSTRUALPAIN

Whileextreme

menstrualcrampscan

becausedbymany

otherfactors,they

canalsobeoneofthe

manyfibromyalgia

symptoms.

BRAINFOGInability

toconcentrateor

feelinglikeyou’ve

gotcottonmuffling

yourthoughtsis a

commonfibromyalgia

symptom.

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