Fibromyalgia

According to the NHS, Fibromyalgia (chronic widespread pain) is a type of chronic primary pain.

View the NHS description here

As well as widespread pain, people with fibromyalgia may also have:

• increased sensitivity to pain

• extreme tiredness (fatigue)

• muscle stiffness

• difficulty sleeping

• problems with mental processes (known as "fibro-fog"), such as problems with memory and concentration

• headaches

• irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a digestive condition that causes stomach pain and bloating

The exact cause of fibromyalgia is unknown, but it's thought to be related to abnormal levels of certain chemicals in the brain and changes in the way the central nervous system (the brain, spinal cord and nerves) processes pain messages carried around the body.

It's also suggested that some people are more likely to develop fibromyalgia because of genes inherited from their parents.

In many cases, the condition appears to be triggered by a physically or emotionally stressful event, such as:

• an injury or infection

• giving birth

• having an operation

• the breakdown of a relationship

• the death of a loved one

Although there's currently no cure for fibromyalgia, there are treatments to help relieve some of the symptoms and make the condition easier to live with.

Treatment tends to be a combination of:

• medicine, such as antidepressants and painkillers

• talking therapies, such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and counselling

• lifestyle changes, such as exercise programmes and relaxation techniques

Exercise in particular has been found to have a number of important benefits for people with fibromyalgia, including helping to reduce pain.

NHS provision can have limited resources available for the rehabilitation aspect which means people do not always receive an individually-tailored approach that meets their specific needs and takes into account the full picture.

Timely intervention to alleviate the pain cycle at the earliest point is important. The longer it goes on, the more embedded it becomes, with associated pain behaviours, altered lifestyles and prolonged use of medication and so on.

Our rehabilitation programmes follow the recommendations of NICE and include specialist intervention from a number of modalities. A positive pain cycle can be established through learning skills and strategies through specialist rehabilitation that help someone manage their specific pain according to their lifestyle, which improves function.

We focus on the whole person and the complete picture.