Fibromyalgia how long has it been around

Medically, "fibro" means connective tissue and "itis" means inflammation. Soon after Gowers put forth the name, another researcher published a study seeming to confirm many of Gowers' theories about the mechanisms of inflammation in the condition. This helped cement the term fibrositis in the vernacular. Ironically, this other research was later found to be faulty. Local injections of anesthetic continued to be a suggested treatment.

Fibrositis wasn't a rare diagnosis back then. A paper stated the fibrositis was the most common form of severe chronic rheumatism. It also said that, in Britain, it accounted for 60 percent of insurance cases for rheumatic disease. Also in that era, the concept of referred muscle pain was proven via research. A study on pain pathways mentioned deep pain and hyperalgesia a heightened pain response and may have been the first to suggest that the central nervous system was involved in the condition.

Additionally, a paper on trigger points and referred pain put forth the term " myofascial pain syndromes " for localized pain. Researchers suggested that the widespread pain of fibrositis may come from one person having multiple cases of myofascial pain syndrome. World War II brought a renewed focus when doctors realized that soldiers were especially likely to have fibrositis. Because they didn't show signs of inflammation or physical degeneration, and symptoms appeared linked to stress and depression, researchers labeled it "psychogenic rheumatism.

Fibrositis continued to gain acceptance, even though doctors couldn't agree on exactly what it was. In , a chapter on the condition appeared in a well-regarded rheumatology textbook called Arthritis and Allied Conditions. It read, "[T]here can no longer be any doubt concerning the existence of such a condition. Still, descriptions were vague mish-mashes that we now recognize as including several very different types of pain conditions. They generally involved fatigue, headaches, and psychological distress, but poor sleep wasn't mentioned.

The first description of fibrositis that truly resembles what we recognize today as fibromyalgia came in Researcher Eugene F. Traut's paper mentioned:. Along with generalized pain, he recognized certain regional ones that appeared to be common, including what we now know as carpal tunnel syndrome. He mentioned "various levels of the spinal axis," which you may recognize from modern diagnostic criteria: pain in the axial skeleton bones of the head, throat, chest, and spine and in all four quadrants of the body.

Four years later, though, researcher Hugh A. Smythe penned a textbook chapter on fibrositis that had a far-reaching influence on future studies and led to his being called the "grandfather of modern fibromyalgia. Smythe not only included poor sleep in the description but described what sleep was like for patients and also provided unpublished electroencephalogram sleep study findings that showed dysfunction in stage-3 and stage-4 sleep. Further, he stated that non-restorative sleep, trauma, and emotional distress all could lead to heightened symptoms.

Subsequent research confirmed sleep abnormalities as well as showing that sleep deprivation can lead to fibromyalgia-like symptoms in healthy people. Smythe then was involved in a study that better defined tender points and suggested their use in diagnosis.

It also listed chronic pain, disturbed sleep, morning stiffness, and fatigue as symptoms that could help diagnose the condition. While researchers had made some good progress, they still hadn't uncovered evidence of inflammation, the "itis" in fibrositis.

The name was then changed to fibromyalgia: "fibro" meaning connective tissues, "my" meaning muscle, and "algia" meaning pain. Still, a lot of questions remained. The primary symptoms were vague and common in the population. Doctors still didn't have a handle on what fibromyalgia was. Then, a seminal study lead by Muhammed Yunus came out in It confirmed that pain, fatigue, and poor sleep were significantly more common in people with fibromyalgia than in healthy control subjects; that the number of tender points was significantly greater; and that multiple other symptoms were significantly more common as well.

These additional symptoms included:. This paper established enough of a consistent symptom cluster to officially denote fibromyalgia a syndrome as well as the first criteria proven to differentiate those with fibromyalgia from others. A wealth of research has since confirmed that these symptoms and overlapping conditions are in fact associated with fibromyalgia. We are appealing for further trustees to aid the running of the association.

Expertise is currently needed in finance, fundraising and publicity. We already have volunteers contributing to these areas, but are seeking trustees to take responsibility for the overarching administration and development. Trustee meetings are held monthly via Skype and last about 2 hours. All we need is the name of the Health CareProfessional and the address of their practice.

We will then send a pack to their surgery addressed from us to them. You can request a medical pack using this form. We are delighted to announce that our recent assessment for The Information Standard has been successful and we continue to fulfil the criteria for using the TIS logo on our publications.

The rigorous process that has to be in place ensures that up to date evidence is used and presented to people in an appropriate way.

The process is ongoing and requires much diligence by everyone involved. We would like to thank everyone who has worked on our publications or sent in their comments and suggestions for improvement. Instead, you can now take advantage of our new Text service with Donr.

Please share to make our followers aware of our new text donation arrangement. You can find a Support Group near you by contacting the Regional Coordinator for your area. If there does not happen to be a support group near you then maybe you can join with some other members and set one up.

Support groups provide a social benefit as well as the opportunity to share tips on coping with fibro.

They come in all shapes and sizes and we are often told how they have helped people. A company limited by guarantee SC We use cookies to improve our website and your experience when using it. Cookies used for the essential operation of the site have already been set. To find out more about the cookies we use and how to delete them, see our Cookie Use Page. How to Access Charity area Registration Document.

Twitter Page. Any chronic health condition has its challenges of course, but fibromyalgia can be more challenging than most. To explain why, let me explain a bit about the condition and its history. Fibromyalgia is a chronic widespread pain condition that takes your independence, liberty and much more.

It also impacts your sleep so that you are less able to deal with the pain. Add to this fibrofog where you feel like you could forget your own name and you have a starting point of this condition.

We would not wish it on anyone. The condition is thought to affect between 2. However, we are now in a period of greater awareness than even 5 or 10 years ago. Fibromyalgia can be heard referred to as a new disease or a fad diagnosis. It used to have other names like fibrositis or muscular rheumatism and has been thought to have affected some notable people from history like Florence Nightingale or the artist Frida Kahlo — In rheumatism was coined by Guilliame de Baillou to cover musculoskeletal pain that did not originate from an injury, to later the term muscular rheumatism that included conditions like fibromyalgia that did not cause deformity there has been a push to define it better.

My baseline of pain is a constant four to five at all times. I always hurt. In combination with the pain and tenderness, these other symptoms can seriously impact everyday life and the ability to live a normal life. People may be required to take more medications to treat these problems as well. This can be inconvenient for anyone, let alone someone managing constant pain.

The main symptom of fibromyalgia is pain and tenderness throughout the body, but severe fatigue, sleeplessness, and memory or focus issues are also very common.

It remains unclear what causes these symptoms in the first place. The NIAMS say that there are probably numerous factors involved that increase the risk of triggering fibromyalgia:. In order to diagnose fibromyalgia, doctors will most often ask people to describe their pain. No diagnostic tests like X-rays or blood tests are needed to diagnose the condition, but doctors may order them to rule out other health problems.

Unfortunately, many people with fibromyalgia go to more than one doctor before receiving a diagnosis because of these commonly accepted misconceptions about the condition. It is important for people to find a doctor with whom they feel comfortable and whose thoroughness they trust.

This does not mean that fibromyalgia is impossible to diagnose, however. The American College of Rheumatology outline the criteria accepted by the medical community that are needed to diagnose fibromyalgia. Alongside the pain and symptoms a person has felt over the previous week, they must also experience fatigue, waking up still feeling tired or unrefreshed, memory or thought problems, or other general physical problems.

This drug is also used to treat several pain conditions and epilepsy. Doctors may recommend a number of over-the-counter medications to relieve pain including:. They may also suggest a prescription pain medication such as tramadol, but are unlikely to prescribe any narcotics. This is because narcotics can worsen pain over time and lead to dependency.

Some antidepressants , such as duloxetine and milnacipran, may help with pain and fatigue as well. Experts also suggest taking regular exercise, maintaining a healthful diet, and getting plenty of sleep.