What is the Difference Between Myofascial Pain and the Fibromyalgia Symptom of Chronic Pain?

What is the difference between Myofascial Pain and the Fibromyalgia Symptom of Chronic Pain? These two conditions are closely related to each other and are generally thought to be two faces of the same disease. In most cases though, Fibromyalgia usually includes Myofascial Pain as well as a number of other symptoms, including widespread pain, muscle spasms, fatigue (including Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) and even depression. You can also have Myofascial Pain widespread throughout the entire body, but in most people Myofascial Pain is more centralized in certain areas of the body, the more popular spots for pain being the neck, shoulders and feet. (But as time goes on though, prolonged pain in these areas can trigger pain throughout the body.) Physicians will usually diagnose these conditions by applying pressure to 18 "trigger points" throughout the body and if more than 11 trigger points are tender, a diagnosis of Fibromyalgia is usually given, especially if many of the fibromyalgia symptoms below are present.

The medical community isn’t exactly sure what causes these conditions, but having said that there are certain conditions that many Fibromyalgia sufferers have in common:

• Insomnia and poor quality sleep
• Has had whiplash or a serious structural injury
• Processes lactic acid abnormally
• Exhibits low levels of serotonin, progesterone and anti-oxidants
• Has impaired thyroid function and impaired immune system function
• Has high levels of toxins and will usually have allergies

What would be the most common fibromyalgia symptom?

There are many conditions and symptoms that are associated with Fibromyalgia and Myofascial Pain. Some of the more common ones are:

• The most common and chronic fibromyalgia symptom is widespread pain which can vary in severity and can change locations
• Fatigue and / or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is another major fibromyalgia symptom
• Stiffness which is most often noticed after prolonged periods of sitting or upon awakening after sleeping all night
• Extremely stiff neck and shoulder muscles which often trigger headaches and facial pain, including TMJ dysfunction (temporo-mandibular joint in the jaw)
• Lower back pain
• Another very important fibromyalgia symptom is insomnia and problems sleeping. Many sufferers have trouble sleeping or feel very tired, even after sleeping a number of hours. They feel as though they have not slept deeply during the night and often wake up frequently during the night. Research has found that some people have disruptions of deep delta wave sleep and this may explain fatigue.
• Foggy brain, problems concentrating, poor memory, difficulty thinking of words and names
• Digestive problems, bloating, irritable bowel syndrome (constipation / diarrhea)
• Difficulty swallowing
• Ear aches, ringing in ears, itchy ears
• Fibrocystic breasts
• Gastric reflux esophagitis (acid reflux, heartburn)
• Carbohydrate / Chocolate cravings
• Dizziness, light-headedness or problems with balance
• Increased frequency of urination (especially at night)
• Increased urgency to urinate (without bladder infection). Slight leaking when coughing, sneezing or laughing.
• Painful sexual intercourse
• Depression, cry easily, mood swings
• Blurry vision
• Plantar fascia pain (pain in bottom of foot near heel). Pain in foot is worst first thing in the morning when getting out of bed or after prolonged sitting. Again, this is a very common fibromyalgia symptom.
• Pain in the chest and upper body (thoracic) and rib cage. Muscle pain in the rib cage and where the ribs connect to the breast can cause poor posture as well as cause people to breathe shallowly. (Shortness of breath)
• Allergic type symptoms like sinusitis or nasal congestion, or rashes / itching
• Restless leg syndrome (strong urge to move legs when lying down) as well as a sensation of your skin crawling
• Hypoglycemia symptoms
• Impotence
• Candida / Yeast Infection (This is one fibromyalgia symptom that is usually thought to be a major trigger to fibromyalgia due to the inherent digestion problems and leaky gut syndrome that are often associated with Candida; so although it may be listed as a fibromyalgia symptom, in reality it is more like a cause.)
• Fingernail ridges
• Muscle twitching
• Numbness and tingling
• PMS
• Rapid, irregular heartbeat
• Panic attacks
• Dry eyes and mouth; dry, itchy skin
• Swelling of extremities (especially fingers, causing rings to no longer fit)
• Thumb pain and weak grip
• Tight Achilles tendons (this fibromyalgia symptom is usually connected to plantar fascia pain)
• Tight hamstrings
• Leg cramps (again, this fibromyalgia symptom is often connected to plantar fascia pain)
• Weak ankles
• Weight gain (this is partially due to decreased activity and exercising due to physical discomfort and pain)

You may have noticed that many of these above fibromyalgia symptoms are the same ones found in many of the other health conditions described in this book such as Insulin Resistance, Estrogen Dominance, Candida, Impaired Thyroid and much more. Although Fibromyalgia or Myofascial Pain has not been proven to cause these conditions, there does seem to be a connection at some level.

Click here for information about various fibromyalgia symptom treatment plans...

The Candida Connection

There is a school of thought that links Candida and excess sugar consumption to these two conditions. It is thought that Candida damages the intestinal walls causing a "leaky gut syndrome" which allows toxins and incompletely digested food to enter the bloodstream causing food sensitivities and other problems, including depressed immune system.

The immune system produces antibodies that attack foreign substances called antigens, which in many cases takes the form of undigested food and toxins in the bloodstream. These antibodies in turn end up in the tissues and cause arthritic symptoms, inflammation and pain.

Research has shown a correlation between the increasing dysfunction of our digestive system as we age (particularly in the areas of leaky gut syndrome which permits more and more toxins to enter the bloodstream through weakened intestinal walls) and the increase of inflammatory diseases such as arthritis, inflammatory joint disease, rheumatism and just general stiffening of the muscles, joints and fascia, such as is found in Fibromyalgia and Myofascial Pain.

The Serotonin Connection

Another thing the scientific community is researching is what part low serotonin levels play in Fibromyalgia Symptoms and Myofascial Pain, particularly Fibromyalgia due to the debilitating fatigue and depression common to this condition. As was discussed in Section 10.5 of the "Diet Free ... At Last!" Weight Loss Program on Serotonin, people with low levels of Serotonin typically are depressed and have feelings of helplessness and hopelessness. Also, when you increase Serotonin levels, you also sleep better and deeper and wake up less often during the night. The biggest advantage to this is that the deeper the sleep you can get, the better your body can recuperate and heal, the less pain you will experience due to the Fibromyalgia.

Increasing your levels of Serotonin also:

• Reduces pain (the main fibromyalgia symptom people complain of)

• Reduces depression, anxiety and anger (including the deep depression experienced by suicidal people)

• Reduces food cravings and binge eating, especially for sugar and refined carbohydrates (this can help to lose weight)

• Improves sleep quality

• Elevates mood and produces a sense of well-being

• Has been found to reduces symptoms of PMS

• It is thought that headaches and migraines may be caused by low levels of serotonin, therefore increasing serotonin levels may help with this

• Research has found a link between low levels of serotonin and stress

• Research has also found a link between low levels of serotonin and chemical addictions including smoking, alcohol dependency and drug addiction

The Weight Gain Connection

Another interesting question with Fibromyalgia and Myofascial Pain is whether or not they trigger weight gain or whether or not weight gain triggers these conditions.

Of course, the most obvious connection is that these conditions can indirectly cause weight gain since it is difficult to exercise when you are experiencing pain throughout your body. Also, exercising usually increases your pain and stiffness due to lactic acid build up in the muscles. As well, sufferers of these conditions will often also have other conditions such as Diabetes, Candida, low Serotonin, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Impaired Thyroid Function, Impaired Liver Function, and food intolerances, all of which will trigger weight gain in susceptible individuals. And of course, let’s not forget that these conditions will also cause stress (both emotional and physical) which again can be implicated in a weight gain vicious cycle.

So although Fibromyalgia and Myofascial Pain do not necessarily cause weight gain directly (except for not being able to exercise), it is not unusual for these conditions to be tied into a vicious cycle with other conditions and having all these conditions feeding off each other and getting worst and worst as time goes on. Therefore, the general consensus is that the more successful a person is in re-establishing their body’s natural state of health and reversing or at least managing any of these conditions they may have, the better the chances are of being able to lose excess weight and keep it off for life. And one of the best ways to accomplish this is through the "Diet Free ... At Last!" Weight Loss Program!

P.O. Box 1025, Indooroopilly, Queensland, Australia, 4068

Copyright Geraldine Richard 2002-2007. All Rights Reserved.

Our Privacy Policy Disclaimer