This is a condition where pain is characteristically described as "Charley horses" scattered all over the body, It falls in the gambit of muscular endurance disorders with a widespread musculoskeletal pain involving all the four quadrants of the body namely the right, left, above and below the waist.
Incidence
After osteoarthritis, this is the most common rheumatological disorder; the overall incidence is 2-5 percent with women suffering 8-10 times more than man.
Causative Factors
- In 5-10 percent, it could be hereditary.
- In a majority, any condition that lowers endurance of the muscles can trigger this condition. Notorious among them are sleep disorders (Loss of Stage IV delta wave sleep), trauma connective tissue disorders, infections, etc.
Clinical Features
- Pain: Its features include widespread gnawing pains, with increased activity, stress or poor sleep
- Fatigue, stiffness arthralgia, headache, chest and abdominal pains, etc. are some of the other complaints.
Diagnostic Criteria
- Widespread pain for at least three months in all the four quadrants of the body.
- Pain should be elicited in at least 11/18 established tender points when a digital pressure of 4 kg is applied.
Treatment
A multidisciplinary approach seems to be an effective strategy in tackling this troublesome condition namely:
- Initial Phase: Treat the underlying cause like sleep disorders, infection, connective tissue disorders, etc.
- Second Phase: Myofascial release, massage and physical therapy are used to relieve the pain at the tender areas
- Final Phase: Aerobic exercises are advocated to improve the muscle endurance.
Alternative Therapies
- Diet Therapy: A diet rich in protein, amino acids and minerals are recommended.
- Injection Therapy: A trigger point injection into the tender area with dry needling or injection, normal saline, local anesthetic and steroid injection helps.
- Physical Therapy: Ultrasound, SWD, TENS, manipulations and massage are useful adjunctive measures.
- Acupressure: Stimulating the reflex points and specific points helps to lower the pain.
Many people suffer from generalised, muscular aching and pain, however this only officially becomes the medical condition labelled ‘Fibromyalgia Syndrome’ (FMS) when this aching muscle pain is accompanied by pain produced when pressure is applied to certain specific body areas. Come Instantly our Accessible Physical Therapy Center in Maryland. For More Detailed Information about our centers Call Now at: (301) 552-8700
