Fibromyalgia and Myofascial Pain Syndrome

Fibromyalgia is a disease characterized by diffuse pain and sleep problems for more than three months. The pain may be all over the body, but is most common in the shoulders and back muscles. 80% of the patients are women.
Myofascial pain is a pain disorder that causes pain in the muscles, soft tissue and connective tissue. Myofascial pain is seen in almost all fibromyalgia patients and myofascial pain patients are candidates for fibromyalgia.

The most common complaints in patients with fibromyalgia:

• Tender areas and trigger points
• Poor sleep quality
• Waking up frequently during the night
• Morning stiffness
• Fatigue
• Fibrofog
  • Confusion
  • Concentration problems
  • Distractibility
  • Forgetfulness
  • Reduced performance
  • Not being able to Multi-task

• Headache, migraine
• Jaw pain
• Dizziness, vertigo
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Gastrointestinal complaints, irritable bowel syndrome
• Numbness and tingling in the hands
• Imbalance
• Clumsiness
• Painful/hyperactive bladder
• Premenstrual syndrome
• Restless legs syndrome

Fibromyalgia is a central sensitization disorder. As a result of central sensitization, the patients respond to external factors normally not causing pain with increased pain responses.
The majority of patients have migraine, irritable bowel syndrome and chronic fatigue syndrome.
Exposure to physical, mental and sexual violence in childhood makes a person vulnerable to central pain sensitization syndromes. Premature birth, staying in incubator, having an operation as a baby/child, exposure to medical interventions, staying in hospital increases the likelihood of fibromyalgia and myofascial pain in adulthood.

Factors that increase pain:

• Insomnia
• Inactivity
• Working at a desk
• Long working hours
• Being overweight
• Stress
• Stressful workplace
• Smoking
• Infections, flu
• Consuming gluten
• Bad posture
• Excessive phone/PC screen time
• Air-conditioned environments
• Cold weather