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FIBROMYALGIA

Fibromyalgia syndrome affects about 3% of the female population and 1% of the male population.

It is defined as symmetrical body pain present above and below the waist line and present in at least 11 out of 18 defined points.

Patients have often spent many years looking for a cause for their pain with multiple investigations revealing no organic abnormalities. Classically pain is felt as sensitive skin and sore muscles and connective tissues.

If you run an internet search using fibromyalgia as the key word then you will find some useful information on this condition.

Classical painkillers ( e.g. codeine, brufen, paracetamol) do not work well in this condition. Perhaps one in five people respond positively to low doses of tricyclic antidepressants such as dothiepin and amitriptyline.

Patients more often than not also give associated depressive symptoms such as poor sleep and crying spells. Multidisciplinary pain programmes and self-help groups are also useful.


Low Back Pain "When the pain is primarily from the back then it may be either confined to that area or associated with pain in the legs, groin or abdomen or even further up the back even as far as the neck, shoulders and head"... more >>	Fibromyalgia "Fibromyalgia syndrome affects about 3% of the female population and 1% of the male population. Patients have often spent many years looking for a cause for their pain with multiple investigations revealing no organic abnormalities" ... more >>	Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) "This is a common condition and describes a group of symptoms occurring together in a painful part of the body. The condition can occur spontaneously, especially in children." ... more >>


Drugs prescribed in the pain clinic "Patients frequently come to the pain clinic on medications which are either simply not working on their pain or are giving them inadequate pain relief. There may be many reasons for this" .. more >>	Phantom Sensations and Pains "Phantom sensations occur after loss of a part of the body, most commonly a limb. The person feels that the part of the body is still there. If it is painful as well then it is known as phantom pain."... more >>	Pain Relief from Electrical Stimulation "directed at interrupting the pain signal in the spinal cord... The theory basically is that that there is a nerve gate which can be closed so as to prevent the brain from receiving the painful signal. "... more >>


Myofascial Pain "This is pain affecting muscles and connective tissue which is more localised than fibromyalgia. It is associated with trigger points. These are string-like areas of muscle which one can literally role ones finger over. They are rather painful" ... more >>	Body Surface Pain "This refers to postherpetic neuralgia, scar pain and other tender points and trigeminal neuralgia. Postherpetic neuralgia needs a little explanation as people do get confused about it and shingles. " ... more >>	Neck Pain "As with all pain clinic assessments of paramount importance is to exclude sinister causes for the pain. These include cancer pains" more >>

Consultant Anaesthetics and Pain Management
Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and Shropshire Nuffield Hospital.
Born 1965, Edinburgh.
Qualified 1990 MBChB Manchester University.
Acquired membership of the Royal College of Anaesthetists in 1997.

Questions? Comments?
Please email me at mwm1968@aol.com

Olympia Physiotherapy Sports Medicine and Pain Management

Visit New Clinic:
www.olympiapsp.co.uk

Tel 07852 712115