This article is Part 1 of a three part series.  The information I'm providing is based on review of research on the topic and treatment of my patients who have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia.  The information in this article a starting point.  You might already know some of this information, especially if you've had this condition for years.  But since some might be at the beginning of this journey, I'll start with some foundational information.

Fibromyalgia is a condition that is not very easy to diagnose or treat with conventional medical methods. A diagnosis of fybromyalgia is considered a “diagnosis of exclusion”, which means various tests are not showing anything definitive, so the symptoms are classified as fibromyalgia.  The conversation between a doctor and patient goes something like this...

“Mrs. Jones, all of the tests (blood work, x-rays, CT scan, MRI) are showing nothing out of the ordinary.  Everything known to medicine has been ruled out, so I think it must be fibromyalgia.  There is no definitive treatment for resolving it, so it looks like you'll have to live with it.  Here is some medication that may help alleviate the pain.  Have a nice day!”  

Perhaps the problem starts with its name. The word fibromyalgia is a misnomer. Fibro makes reference to the fibers (group of muscle cells) that comprise a muscle. Myo means muscle and algia means pain. So if we put it together, it is the pain localized at the level of the muscle fibers and the muscle as a whole.  But the pain is not coming from the muscle tissue or fibers.

In order to have pain, a tissue must have inflammation, which is a complex biochemical cascade leading to pain.  Through biopsies of the muscles of fybromyalgia patients, research has shown that not a single muscle fiber had inflammation.  Therefore, the pain was not coming from the muscle.  Based on this research, some physicians have come to the conclusion that fibromyalgia pain is not real, which gave rise to the use of antidepressant medications in the treatment of this condition.

I KNOW the pain is real and many lives are negatively impacted by this pain.  However, the pain is not caused by inflammation of the muscles or its fibers. Rather, the source of the problem is the fascia tissue. Fascia is a tissue referred in anatomy as connective tissue located from head to toe, surrounding and holding all types of tissues; arteries, veins, big organs, bones, articulations, just to name a very few. Depending where this fascia tissue is located, it presents with different texture, thickness and forms.

The theory behind its anatomy and physiology describes it as a single tissue that infuses the entire body to keep organs and structures in place. An interesting thing about fascia is that it does not present receptors for analgesics, which is why pain medication does not give the expected response. Pain medications only work at certain levels, but if the tissue with receptors is close to the fascia, the medication can produce some relief of pain, but not totally.

Part 2 will contain more information about fascia and the mechanism for how it causes pain and  discomfort.  Part 3 will provide possible proven solutions to the problem that have worked for many people.

If you'd like to read Parts 2 and 3, please join my Facebook group, South Florida Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain Support Group and get my FREE e-book titled "Resolving Chronic Pain Without Drugs, Injections or Surgery".