Fibromyalgia- How familiar are you?

Fibromyalgia is a physical disorder where muscle and connective tissue pain is prevalent. The pain is chronic and widespread, and a gentle touch can instigate a heightened and painful response. Other sufferings that come along with fibromyalgia are debilitating fatigue, sleep disturbance, and joint stiffness. People affected by this disorder also frequently experience some difficulties with swallowing or breathing, problems in bowel functions ( such as diarrhea or constipation) and bladder functions, along with abnormal motor activity, cognitive dysfunction or poor memory, diffuse sensations of numbness and tingling, and anxiety related symptoms. Most people with fibromyalgia symptoms experience these over a long period of time, sometimes back to childhood. About one fourth of fibromyalgia patients remember a specific event that set off their symptoms, like a car accident, bad flu, or surgery. Although there is as yet no generally accepted cure for fibromyalgia, there are treatments that have been demonstrated or administered by controlled clinical trials to be effective in reducing symptoms, including medications, patient education, exercise and behavioral interventions.