Fibromyalgia Pain: Combat the Cold

Fibromyalgia pain

Fibromyalgia-what is it?

Fibromyalgia is a condition characterized by widespread musculoskeletal (muscle and bone) pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory and mood issues. It can have a complex collection of symptoms that can include muscle, tendon, and ligament pain; fatigue; multiple tender points; and depression. Cold weather can make these symptoms worse and it can be felt deep in the bones, tightening the joints and cause a feeling of achiness.

Why is Fibromyalgia pain worse in winter?

While winter is a season that brings balance to all living things and prepares the earth for creatures to enjoy when spring arrives, it’s not the case for everyone. For some, winter means more difficulties, aggravated pains, mood disorders, cognitive dysfunction (fibro fog), and stress. The flare-ups in symptoms are widely associated with cold, damp days and a drop in barometric pressure. So, how and why does cold weather aggravate pain for people with fibromyalgia?

 

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When a patient gets chilled, it can be extremely hard to warm back up. The cold seems to penetrate bones and cause muscles to contract; therefore, triggering chronic pain. According to medical science, a potential reason for aggravated pain and fatigue is abnormally high numbers of hypersensitive sensory nerves in the nervous system. The hypersensitized central nervous system for people dealing with fibromyalgia pain misinterprets cold as a pain signal. This misinterpretation tends to increase the pain and provoke other symptoms like fatigue, forgetfulness, decreased concentration, and sleep disturbances. Even with these claims, scientists are yet to find a viable and robust association between cold weather and pain in fibromyalgia.

Despite some researchers claiming there is no direct link between cold weather and fibromyalgia symptoms, most patients tend to experience the worst during colder months. Health professionals claim that the worsening of fibro symptoms is likely due to the fact that people tend to be less active during the winter. Lack of exercise can result in physical de-conditioning, translating to intense pain and fatigue.

According to Dr. Robert Bennett, worsening fibro symptoms can also be triggered by other pre-existing conditions. He identifies the conditions as co-morbid and co-existing conditions.

  • Co-morbid conditions: These are unconventional co-existing disorders that tend to occur often alongside other medical conditions; therefore, making the situation worse.
  • Co-existing conditions: These are medical conditions that co-occur in a patient without any significant co-morbidity relevance. Primarily, co-existing conditions weaken the immune system making other disorders seem more prevalent.

Dr. Robert suggests that patients should keep an eye on other disorders when diagnosing and treating fibromyalgia. Some co-existing and co-morbid conditions also tend to be affected by cold weather, making the situation severe.

Fibromyalgia often co-exists with other conditions, such as:

  • Irritable bowel syndrome
  • Chronic fatigue syndrome
  • Migraine and other types of headaches
  • Interstitial cystitis or painful bladder syndrome
  • Temporomandibular joint disorders
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Postural tachycardia syndrome

How can you combat the symptoms during winter?

Fibromyalgia patients need to improvise ways to stay warm and welcome anything to help keep the chronic pain and other fibro symptoms at bay. The good news is there are ways to weather the symptoms during the cold season!

 

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As scientists continue to study the disorder, people with fibromyalgia need to bundle up and avoid the winter chill. Here are some other tips to explore to get through the winter season:

  • Get quality sleep: remove any of your electronic devices from your bedroom, try to got to bed at the same time every night, don’t eat a heavy meal or drink alcohol before bed and avoid exercise right before bed.
  • Reduce stress: try yoga or meditation, don’t try to take on more than you can handle.
  • Eat healthy: certain foods can trigger symptoms so try to track those foods and cut them out of your diet. Common triggers can be sugar, gluten and dairy.  Supplementing with Vitamin D is also beneficial.
  • Light therapy: reduced daylight in winter can trigger depression which is often associated with Fibromyalgia.  Re-creating sunshine with a light box can help.

 

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  • Find support: there are many resources that can offer help.  Local support groups and online communities can be a great way to get the emotional support you need.

 

 

Online Fibromyalgia Test

fibromyalgia diagnosis

LIVING WITH FIBROMYALGIA? The following Fibromyalgia test will help you determine if you have the metabolic fingerprints of Fibromyalgia. Diagnosing Fibromyalgia is a challenge. There are many illnesses with similar symptoms that can be misdiagnosed as this condition that should be ruled out, and although there isn’t a specific blood test, there are markers that suspected patients with fibromyalgia will have that point in the direction of a diagnosis of Fibromyalgia . This questionnaire we have prepared is a simplified version of the diagnostic criteria provided by the American College of Rheumatology. Please note that there is not definitive diagnostic questionnaire available and you should always consult your doctor for medical advice any health concerns, however this tool can be used to provide some guidance. Fill in the form below and click the big button at the bottom to analyze your results.  Also, click here to learn about foods to avoid with fibromyalgia.

A. Widespread Pain Index

This is the first part of the fibromyalgia test. Where do you feel your pain? Using the diagram above indicate each of the 18 tender points on your body you have experienced pain over the past 7 days and count 1 for each point.

Total number of pain points: /18 Points

B. Symptom Severity Scale

Using a scale of 0 (No problem) to 3 (Severe and Ongoing), rate your symptom severity over the past week in each of the 3 categories.

Fatigue Waking Unrefreshed Brain Fog
/3 /3 /3

C.  Somatic Symptoms List

People with Check any symptoms you have experienced over the past week. Symptoms include:

Muscle Pain
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Fatigue/Tiredness
Thinking / Memory problems
Muscle Weakness
Headache
Pain/Cramps in Abdomen
Numbness / Tingling
Dizziness
Insomnia
Depression
Constipation
Pain in Upper Abdomen
Nausea
Nervousness
Chest Pain
Blurred Vision
Fever
Diarrhea
Dry Mouth
Itching
Wheezing
Hives / Welts
Ringing In the Ears
Vomiting
Heartburn
Oral ulcers
Loss/ Change in Taste
Seizures
Dry Eyes
Shortness of Breath
Loss of Appetite
Rash
Sun Sensitivity
Hearing Difficulty
Easy Bruising - Hair Loss
Frequent Urination
Bladder Spasms