Chronic pain conditions can be frustrating and life altering. Many people are labeled “hypochondriacs” or babies due to their constant complaints of pain that is seemingly not there. Chronic pain disorders are not very well understood by medical professionals, which makes treatments tricky. Two common disorders associated with chronic pain are fibromyalgia and polymyalgia. Each are completely unique, let’s see why.
What Is Polymyalgia?
1. Overview
Polymyalgia rheumatica, or PMR, is a syndrome that causes stiffness and pain in the muscles. It gets it’s name from the medical Greek language, polymyalgia means “pain in many muscles”. It is difficult to diagnose and can be associated with inflammatory conditions of the blood vessels.
2. Symptoms
The symptoms associated with PMR can gradually progress or can suddenly develop. The symptoms include aching pain in the shoulders, neck, buttocks, hips, thighs, or upper arms. Stiffness is also commonly present in the areas that are affected. A limited range of motions, fatigue, depression, malaise (general feeling of being unwell), and a mild fever can all be symptoms of PMR. Symptoms are usually worse in the mornings or after long periods of not moving.
3. Who Is Affected?
Your age, sex, and ethnicity all play a role in your changes of suffering from PMR. Women are two times more likely to be affected by this disorder than men. This disorder is exclusive to older adults, and the average age of onset is 70 years old. Your ethnicity and genetics can also play a slight role, although the exact effects are unknown. People in the Middle East and Asia have the lowest percentage of PMR while Northern Europe has the highest.
4. Diagnosis
There is no single test that can be done to conclude if you have PMR. The only thing that can be done is to present your symptoms to your health care provider, they will often perform multiple tests to see if the signs of PMR are present. A blood test to detect inflammation is commonly used. It is important to rule out any other health conditions before diagnosing with PMR.
5. Treatment
Corticosteroids are used for the treatment of the stiffness and aches in muscles associated with PMR. Response to these drugs are usually dramatic, and significant improvement is noticed. If symptoms are not much better within two weeks than the likeliness of PMR being the culprit is low.
Fibromyalgia Facts
1. What It Is
Fibromyalgia is a chronic disorder that causes musculoskeletal pain, affects soft tissues, and causes many other symptoms. It is believed that this disorder starts in the brain by altering the way your brain processes pain signals. There is no cure or miracle treatment for people that suffer with fibromyalgia, only symptoms management is available.
2. Symptoms
Fibromyalgia causes a wide range of symptoms, some of the most reported are widespread pain all over the body, impaired ability to focus or pay attention, and fatigue. Other symptoms that can be associated with fibromyalgia are cramping in the abdomen, depression, severe headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, sleep problems, muscle stiffness, and numbness in the hands, arms, feet, and legs.
3. Who’s At Risk?
Fibromyalgia affects people of all ages and genders, although it is more common in women. Even children suffer with this painful disorder. Some factors that may indicate an increased risk of developing fibromyalgia including genetics. This disorder seems to run in families, genetic mutations may be responsible for making a person more susceptible. Some infections and illnesses also seem to trigger fibromyalgia to develop.
4. Treatment
Certain drugs and lifestyle habit changes can help improve the symptoms that are experienced with fibromyalgia. Most symptoms have to be treated on an individual basis. Regular exercise is said to help ease the daily struggle with fibromyalgia symptoms. Many people that suffer are unfit, this is because pain is greatly increased with exercise and they fear this pain. Exercising produces endorphins in our body which are natural pain killers and mood boosters. A slow and gradual exercise program is the most effective form of fibromyalgia treatment.
Differences Between Polymyalgia and Fibromyalgia
1.Who?
Polymyalgia exclusively affects older adults, this is very different from fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia can affect just about anybody. There are multiple different triggers that can spur fibromyalgia to develop in people of any age, race, or sex.
2. Why?
The reason fibromyalgia is such a debilitating disorder is because of the widespread pain that is associated. This pain is thought to be caused by neurological factors that affect pain sensors in our brain. Polymyalgia is caused by wear and tear to joints and muscles, as with old age.
3. Treatment
While a cure is available for either disorder, a certain extent of treatments are. With fibromyalgia each symptoms is focused on individually and pain is managed from there. In polymyalgia corticosteroids are highly effective in relieving the stiffness in muscles and joints. Nearly all patients who begin on these see a drastic improvement within days.