How to treat fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a condition in which patients suffer from chronic widespread musculoskeletal pain and they respond to heightened pain response to pressure. Their daily activities are influenced and impeded due to this pain and accompanying symptoms like fatigue and cognitive difficulties (often referred to as a fibro fog that influences one’s ability to concentrate, focus and pay attention). Researchers believe that the reason for the chronic pain comes from the change in the brain of people with fibromyalgia caused by repeated nerve stimulation. The levels of chemicals that signal pain in the brain increase and the brain develops a memory of the pain becoming more sensitive and also overreacting to pain signals.

Various treatments for fibromyalgia exist. Patients can make use of a number of drugs. Over the counter pain relievers can be taken to treat the pain symptoms and doctors can also prescribe a specific pain reliever. Antidepressants can also be used to relieve the pain and associated fatigue while a muscle relaxant can also be prescribed to promote sleep. Anti-seizure drugs that are useful in reducing certain types of pain can also be used to treat fibromyalgia symptoms. Some therapies are also available to people suffering from fibromyalgia. Physical therapy and water therapy can be used to improve a patient’s overall strength, flexibility and stamina. Occupational therapy can help patients organize their work lives in a manner that will cause less stress on their bodies and counseling can help patients with strategies to deal with stressful situations. The importance of a healthy lifestyle is also emphasized for individuals with fibromyalgia. Oxygen therapy for fibromyalgia has also been explored in recent years with some success. The main cause for fibromyalgia has been found to in the brain as a pathology increasing the sensory perception of pain and oxygen therapy aims to address this issue. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for fibromyalgia, in which patients are placed in a pressurized chamber so their lungs can better breathe in oxygen rich air, has been shown to:

increase cell metabolism (which is necessary to maintain life),

reduce apoptosis (a form of cell death),

alleviate oxidative stress (protecting your body from damage to fatty tissue, DNA and proteins),

increase neurotrophin (a growth factor for neurons) and nitric oxide (a signaling molecule for blood flow in the brain) by enhancing mitochondrial functions in neurons and glial cells (cells surrounding neurons),

and promote the production of neurons from stem cells within the brain.

It has also been shown that hyperbaric oxygen therapy can induce neuroplasticity (an ability for the brain to change) leading to chronically impaired brain functions being repaired. These results have all lead to the improvement of fibromyalgia symptoms and resulted in an improvement of life quality for the individuals treated. Though this treatment has shown promising results in this clinical trial further research is needed before it can be consistently administered as part of a treatment plan for fibromyalgia.