Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia Pain Specialist In Houston
Fibromyalgia is an unusual condition characterized by widespread pain, fatigue, mood problems, and memory issues. Although it is not much understood, medical researchers believe the condition affects how the nerves report pain, amplifying and creating false sensations. Fibromyalgia symptoms generally begin after a patient experiences surgery or physical trauma or is triggered by an episode that leads to psychological stress. The symptoms come on gradually and build over time.
While there is no cure for fibromyalgia, it can be challenging for doctors to diagnose and treat it effectively. Dr. Brett Warfield is a board-certified pain specialist in Houston who can help fibromyalgia patients seeking effective pain management. He and the pain management team at Texas Intergrative Pain Institute offer the most advanced technologies and regenerative therapies to help his patients manage their condition and live their best lives.
Contact Dr. Brett Warfield
Learn more about TIPI Pain Management by contacting us with your questions or scheduling an evaluation today by calling (346) 888-5237.
Live A Better Life With Fibromyalgia
Your fibromyalgia pain management plan from Dr. Brett Warfield begins with a comprehensive physical exam and testing at Texas Intergrative Pain Institute. Reviewing your medical history, condition, family history, and lifestyle are all taken into careful consideration. Then, Dr. Warfield and his experienced team will make specific recommendations for you to receive the best treatment possible.
Dr. Warfield will also recommend some fundamental lifestyle changes when necessary, such as regulating your sleep patterns, eliminating caffeine, maintaining an exercise regimen, dietary modifications, and other elements that can help your body fight inflammation that causes you discomfort. Patients with fibromyalgia often struggle with a variety of other conditions, including, but not limited to:
- Anxiety and Depression
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Postural tachycardia syndrome
- Temporomandibular joint disorders
- Migraine and other types of headaches
- Interstitial cystitis or painful bladder syndrome
Read Our Digital Guide
Fibromyalgia Guide For Houston
Causes of Fibromyalgia
- Tenderness on the hip where the tendon starts.
- Hip stiffness in the morning or after long periods of rest.
- Pain that lessens as you warm up but intensifies later in the day.
- Discomfort when contracting the muscles in the hip.
Many hip injuries and conditions can be addressed using injections, PRP, A2M, biological treatments, and interventional pain management. Houston patients will receive comfort and relief throughout the healing process and ongoing support for degenerative conditions.
Symptoms of Fibromyalgia
As a neurological health problem, Fibromyalgia is characterized by areas of musculoskeletal pain. This type of pain is usually described as a consistent dull ache and tenderness (like sensitivity to touch). Chronic fatigue is another significant aspect of Fibromyalgia. Other symptoms of fibromyalgia can include:
- Tender points on the body. Tender points are specific places on the neck, shoulders, back, hips, arms, and legs. These points hurt when pressure is put on them.
- Numbness and tingling
- People with fibromyalgia may experience numbness and tingling in their arms, hands, legs, feet, and sometimes face. These sensations are often associated with other conditions, such as carpal tunnel syndrome or multiple sclerosis, but may also be present in fibromyalgia.
- Trouble sleeping
- Morning stiffness
- Headaches
- Painful menstrual periods
- Tingling or numbness in hands and feet
- Problems with thinking and memory (sometimes called “fibro fog”)
- Digestive issues that can include abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Restless legs syndrome: You may have heard of restless legs syndrome before but might not have associated it with fibromyalgia. Restless legs syndrome causes a strong urge to move your legs. Sitting or lying down feels uncomfortable, but moving your legs only helps for so long.
Interstitial cystitis Another chronic condition, interstitial cystitis, causes bladder pain and pressure and is sometimes accompanied by pelvic pain. Frequent and urgent need to urinate is commonly associated with interstitial cystitis and can cause bladder discomfort when complete.
Back Pain: More commonly known as back pain, paraspinal lumbar tenderness can also be associated with fibromyalgia. This doesn’t come as a surprise, as fibromyalgia significantly affects muscles, and the human back has many. This kind of pain occurs more commonly in the upper or lower back and may radiate down to the buttocks and legs. This pain may be amplified since you often use your back, buttocks, and legs for movement and support.
Diagnosis of Fibromyalgia
Our physicians are board-certified and are dedicated to giving you a comprehensive exam that will aid in diagnosing the cause of your symptoms. Using advanced diagnostic techniques, our fibromyalgia pain management doctors in Houston will find out the reason for your pain and then get you on the road to better health as quickly as humanly possible.
Those at Risk for Fibromyalgia: There are known risk factors that are associated with the development of Fibromyalgia. Those risks are:
Women are twice as likely to develop fibromyalgia than men. One of the reasons is factors such as hormonal changes and the potential for higher stress due to menstruation, menopause, or pregnancy.
Age can be a contributing factor in those who have Fibromyalgia. While anyone of any age can develop this condition, the average age range at which fibromyalgia is diagnosed is 35 to 45 years old. Still, most people have had symptoms, including chronic pain, that started much earlier in life.
Those who suffer from Rheumatoid Arthritis or other autoimmune diseases, such as Lupus, are also susceptible.
Fibromyalgia can be genetic, and a person has a higher chance of getting it if a parent or sibling also has it.
People with injuries, especially repetitive injuries, stress joints, and the body.
Illnesses like viral infections can increase the risk of developing Fibromyalgia.
How Fibromyalgia Can Affect Your Life
Since Fibromyalgia is a chronic illness with no known cure, it can wear a person down over time and significantly impact their daily life.
Fibromyalgia can increase the chances for hospitalization throughout a person’s life, and people are twice as likely to be hospitalized than those who do not have Fibromyalgia.
Major depression is also highly linked to Fibromyalgia, as living with something like chronic pain can easily lead to depressive symptoms in someone. Those dealing with Fibromyalgia are three times more likely to have significant depression.
A lower quality of life can, unfortunately, be a result of having Fibromyalgia. Pain from Fibromyalgia can prevent people from completing daily activities that may have once been routine, and moving around can be more difficult.
Fibromyalgia can often co-occur with other autoimmune disorders, such as Rheumatoid Arthritis or Multiple Sclerosis, and symptoms of Fibromyalgia can crossover with some autoimmune disorders. While it is possible to have Fibromyalgia and an autoimmune disorder, at the same time, you may also be misdiagnosed because the symptoms are so similar. This is why it is essential to seek the proper diagnosis to receive the appropriate treatment.
Way To Improve Your Life: While the effects of Fibromyalgia can seriously impact your life, there are some things you can do on your own, in addition to proper fibromyalgia pain management, to improve the quality of life from what it currently may be.
- Healthy Lifestyle
- A balanced diet and limiting tobacco products and caffeine are all part of a healthy lifestyle, along with finding activities that bring you joy and keep you mentally and physically engaged.
- Stress management is another factor in reducing the chronic aspects of Fibromyalgia, and stress management can mean saying no and creating boundaries more often, limiting commitments and overexertion, and practicing deep breathing techniques.
- Sleep
Getting enough sleep every night is a significant step in improving your day-to-day life. Sleep allows your body to heal, and Fibromyalgia often leads to fatigue, so getting the recommended amount of sleep is essential to your health. Creating a routine for quality sleep, such as going to bed, getting up at the same time every day, and sleeping without lights or television on, is highly recommended.
Physical Activity
Exercise and moving your body throughout the day is a good ways to help reduce pain related to Fibromyalgia or Arthritis. It is recommended that adults are moderately physically active for at least 150 minutes a week, which can be broken down into 30 minutes of moderate exercise (i.e., walking, swimming, or hiking) five days a week. Stretches, such as doing light yoga poses, good posture, and relaxation practices (ex., meditation) are also essential to a regular exercise routine.
