Fibromyalgia-Solution.com

The online solution guide for fibromyalgia

What Causes Fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia, what causes is you may ask. Unfortunately, the cause of Fibromyalgia is unknown. It is very difficult to diagnose. However, new studies have revealed some new facts about the causes of Fibromyalgia. Research now shows that Fibromyalgia patients process pain differently than most people. At the heart of the study is a new theory known as “central sensitization.” The theory basically states that people with Fibromyalgia have a lower threshold for pain because of increased sensitivity in the brain to pain signals received in the central nervous system. This increased sensitivity is due to elevated levels of a nerve chemical signal, called substance P, that signals pain. Next, the brain’s pain receptors, which receive the substance P signal, seem to develop somewhat of a memory of the pain and become more sensitive meaning that they can overreact to pain signals. So what’s the big picture? The big picture is that pressure on any spot of the body that wouldn’t hurt someone who doesn’t have Fibromyalgia can really hurt like crazy (for lack of a better word) to someone who has the condition.

Other possible causes of Fibromyalgia include:

·         Sleep disturbances or Insomnia-Many researchers have noticed that Fibromyalgia sufferers have a low level of serotonin.  Chronic low levels of serotonin cause the sensation of pain to be greatly exaggerated.  The low levels of serotonin also may be the culprit of the insomnia and sleep disturbances found in fibromyalgia patients.

·         Abnormalities of the autonomic (sympathetic) nervous system-Part of your autonomic nervous system, the sympathetic or involuntary system, control bodily functions that you do not consciously control. Examples include heart rate, blood vessel contraction and sweating.  It is believed that the sympathetic nervous system dysfunction occurs in people with fibromyalgia, mainly at night which leads to fatigue, stiffness and other signs and symptoms associated with fibromyalgia.

·         Exercise too little/too much- Some doctors and experts theorize that another underlying cause of fibromyalgia may be related to an extreme decrease or extreme increase in activity.  Basically, this means that playing “couch potato” can transform a person into an unhappy fibromyalgic.  At the other end of the spectrum, a person can excessively exercise to the point that he or she has overstressed the body and inadvertently caused the onset of fibromyalgia symptoms.