What is fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is a disorder characterized by a disturbance in the body’s natural ability to control pain. Changes in temperature and the increase of stress can worsen the symptoms which in many cases appear and disappear.
Fibromyalgia symptoms:
The most common symptoms are:
- pain
- fatigue
- sleep problems, insomnia, unrefreshing sleep
- depression, anxiety
- weakness
- an acute sensitivity to odeurs, light and noise
- concentration and memory problems
Some people may also feel:
- exhaustion or a continuous fatigue throughout the day
- numbness, and tingling in hands, arms, feet, and legs
- headaches and migraines, possibly caused by muscular tensions in the neck and shoulders
- morning stiffness
- irritable bowel syndrom
- urinary symptoms, such as pain or frequency
- tender points when touched
- muscular pain and stiffness
- myofacial pain
- transient loss of memory
- the feeling of having a head full of haze like if it was inflated with helium
- painful menstrual cramps
Fibromyalgia and the decrease in collagen production
Muscles contain connective tissues primarily composed of collagen. When muscles contract, collagen allows muscular cells to adapt to mechanical changes. The decrease in collagen production leads to the weakening of muscles, promotes muscular micro-lesions and causes a delay in wound healing. This decrease affects the intramuscular nerve fibres leading to a lowering in pain tolerance, as observed in patients with fibromyalgia.
