When a person thinks of a neurological disorder, they often think of Parkinson’s disease or someone who has had a stroke.
A neurological disorder is categorized as a disease of the brain, spine and nerves that connect these two.
However, what many people wonder is if Fibromyalgia is a neurological disorder? Is this something that actually affects the brain and the spine, along with the nerves?
Many people would say no. After all, fibromyalgia is often defined as having muscle weakness, pain throughout the body and having issues with being tired all the time. Is this a neurological disorder?
The Characteristics of Neurological Disorders
There are several characteristics that define a neurological disorder. These symptoms are often the first that people think about when they are thinking about someone with a neurological disorder.
These symptoms include:
- Paralysis
- Muscle weakness
- Poor coordination
- Loss of sensation in areas of the body
- Seizures
- Confusion
- Pain
- Altered levels of consciousness
The Characteristics of Fibromyalgia
In order to truly understand whether fibromyalgia is a neurological disorder, you also have to understand what the symptoms and characteristics of fibromyalgia are.
Of course, each person is going to have different symptoms and these are going to change from person to person.
However, some of the more common symptoms are:
- Pain in the body stemming from pressure points
- Muscle weakness due to this pain
- Stomach issues that include nausea, vomiting and the like
- Being extremely tired
And many other issues that are being found as more studies are being conducted on this disease that we really do not know as much about since it is relatively new.
The Comparison
With the main symptoms of a neurological disorder being known, along with those symptoms that most fibromyalgia patients show, there are some definitely shared characteristics. Both illnesses:
- Have muscle weakness
- Pain associated with these
- Levels of consciousness, as many fibromyalgia patients, find that the extreme tiredness they feel makes it feel as though they cannot function on their normal level.
So, is fibromyalgia considered a neurological disorder? The answer: yes! Yes, this is a neurological disorder as new studies are showcasing that the pain that these patients feel is actually stemming from the brain and the spine.
These are two main characteristics that must be seen in order to be considered a neurological disorder.
When a doctor has to explain this to a patient, they state that the pain that they are feeling from the fibromyalgia is coming from the brain and the spinal cord.
They believe that this is due to a disturbance in how the brain is processing the pain and other sensory information that is coming into the body.
This is especially true when there has been no injury that would explain the pain that the person is feeling.
Are there Cures for Neurological Disorders?
With many neurological disorders, there is no cure. However, the medical world has come. Most of these neurological disorders have treatments that are meant to keep the person comfortable and keep them functioning in life.
Most neurological disorders will be helped with various therapies and medications that doctors can prescribe.
For those who have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, they are going to find that there is still no cure for this.
But, there are several treatments that can be done in order to help with the pain and the numerous other symptoms that a person may have.
These treatments are most commonly:
- Giving NSAIDs for the pain
- Nerve pills like Gabapentin, Pregabalin, Duloxetine, and Milnacipran
- Amitriptyline
- Muscle relaxations
- Anti-anxiety pills
- Anti-depressants
- Physical therapy
- Massage therapy
Even those who visit a therapist simply for talking find that this can be helpful in dealing with how this illness affects your overall life.
Many people find that homeopathic remedies can be beneficial to their illness. And they have the added benefit of being easy enough for anyone to do with little to no side effects.
These home remedies include:
- Taking a lukewarm bath to help with muscle pain and weakness that may be felt
- Use ice packs and hot packs for those areas of the body that may be extremely painful and maybe swelling
- Over the counter medications for pain
- Exercising has been shown to be great in helping a person to maintain their strength
- Learning how to reduce your stress is a must. You are going to find that stress can make the pain worse.
- Ensuring that you get a good night’s sleep is a must, as you are going to find that not getting the right amount of sleep can make it harder to function.
Can You Live with Fibromyalgia?
You can most definitely learn how to live with fibromyalgia. There are those who have this disease, and they are not letting this slow them down at all, while others have a harder time dealing with this illness.
The key to living with fibromyalgia is learning what you can and cannot do. Many people find that the once active lives that they live have to be downgraded somewhat.
In addition, a person may have better days and worse days, which makes planning things to do or like a bit more difficult.
With the help of a doctor, the person an often find a treatment plan that fits their needs. Through trial and error, they can find medications that help with the pain, and through exercising and eating right, they can also find their life is not greatly affected by this issue.
With all the studies that are being conducted now to learn more about this, the future of treating fibromyalgia is bright.
While this illness has been around for several years, we are only now seeing treatment plans arise and specialists who are dedicating their careers to helping patients with this illness.
