The “annoying” pain —- Fibromyalgia Syndrome

In the medical-surgical clinic, we often encounter middle-aged women who complain of generalized pain, saying that the pain is “distracting”, accompanied by insomnia, waking up easily, and dreaming a lot. They often complain of “swollen joints”, but physical examination does not reveal any swollen or painful joints. The examination of the three major routine, blood sedimentation, rheumatoid factor, anti-nuclear antibody, etc. are normal. The rheumatologist ruled out rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, gout, dry syndrome, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, tenosynovitis and other rheumatologic and immunologic diseases, and finally diagnosed fibromyalgia syndrome. Fibromyalgia syndrome is a non-articular rheumatic disease, formerly known as “fibrositis”. It is a non-articular rheumatic disease with pain originating from tissues other than joints, such as muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones and nerves. The disease usually develops at the age of 25-45, with more women than men, and 80%-90% of women of childbearing age. Its clinical manifestations are diverse and can be summarized as follows: (1) Characteristic symptoms: generalized widespread pain, mostly stabbing pain, pain in all parts of the body, especially in the cervical, thoracic spine, lower back and other bones and scapulae, pelvis and other places as common. (2) Common symptoms: there are insomnia, easy to wake up, dreamy, mentally unstable and other sleep disorders and fatigue. (3) Other symptoms: patients often complain of joints and swelling around the joints, but the objective is often “no evidence”. Migraine headache is the next most common symptom. Psychological abnormalities, including depression and anxiety, are also common. On physical examination by a doctor, the pressure points are pressed with the thumb (the pressure is about 4 kilograms) and at least 11 of the 18 pressure points (9 pairs) are painful. The etiology of fibromyalgia syndrome is unknown, and pain studies have suggested that it is related to abnormalities in pain receptors. The literature reports that patients with rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis can also present with symptoms of fibromyalgia syndrome. The most important aspect of treatment is to explain it to the patient. Explain to the patient that the disease does not cause disability and has a good prognosis in order to relieve the patient’s anxiety and depression. There are few treatments available, but the main ones are to improve sleep, reduce the sensitivity of pain receptors, and improve blood flow to the muscles. Mild fibromyalgia may subside on its own with the release of tension, but often may recur or become chronic. Stretching exercises, aerobic fitness, improved sleep, localized hot packs, and gentle massage can reduce the condition. In terms of medication, the more commonly used drugs are antidepressants, and in 2004, doctors in China reported in the Chinese Journal of Rheumatology that the treatment of amitriptyline and the traditional Chinese medicine Paeonia lactiflora (Pavlin) was more effective than the treatment of amitriptyline alone. Chlorzoxazone reduces generalized stiffness. Acupuncture, sympathetic nerve block, pain point closure can also be tried. In recent years, cardiovascular adaptation training and EMG biofeedback training have been proposed to have certain efficacy.