Fibromyalgia is a condition characterized by widespread pain, a feeling of mental cloudiness, sleep disturbance, and many other possible symptoms. It is a type of ‘central sensitization’ where the signals in the body are amplified so that many different types of sensations are heightened: these include pain, emotions, and even smell, sound and sight. It can be a chronic state of pain or it can come and go, often becoming worse during times of high stress. It is as if the volume of all of the body’s nerves are turned up to the maximum. The onset of fibromyalgia is often, but not always, associated with a particularly stressful time of life or a trauma whether physical, emotional, or mental. When this occurs, we can become stuck in the state of ‘fight or flight’ where the body is always on edge and ready for action. Over time this becomes exhausting and so it is not surprising that chronic fatigue is often a prominent feature of fibromyalgia. This is a new way of looking at fibromyalgia and it means that there are many avenues to treat it! Any treatment that can relax your nervous system and turn down the volume of your pain will help with the symptoms of fibromyalgia. These include but are not limited to meditation, acupuncture, massage, regular gentle exercise, and many other options. These are available at RISE BC Wellness Centre.
