Understanding Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a painful disease related to arthritis that is not readily acknowledged or diagnosed by medical professionals. Instead of affecting joints as arthritis does, fibromyalgia affects muscles, according to Lynn Rusy, MD. Dr. Rusy is assistant professor of anesthesiology at the Medical College of Wisconsin, and is based at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin in the Comprehensive Pain Management Center.

She notes that fibromyalgia is associated with other symptoms such as dizziness, headaches, fatigue and irritable stomach.

"There are specific tender points on the body caused by insufficient oxygen in the muscles," Dr. Rusy said. "These are helpful to diagnose the disease. But many people come here frustrated because their physician doesn't think a problem exists."

One mother described watching her teenage son arrive home and fall asleep in a chair still with his coat on. He also suffered from undiagnosed pain. And, she said, it took months before they found a doctor that believed them.

With symptoms difficult to explain without the proper test procedures, patients are sometimes told the problem is in their heads. In addition to the pain and fatigue, they sometimes endure a barrage of tests that only tell them what the problem is not.

It is not known what causes fibromyalgia, but physicians believe it can be genetic since it sometimes runs in families. It may also be brought on by a viral infection or triggered by trauma such as an injury or car accident.

There is no cure for fibromyalgia. Pain caused by the disease is treated with analgesics, physical therapy, aerobic exercise, acupuncture and massage. And to help manage their pain, patients are taught distraction and relaxation techniques. Support groups also are helpful to patients with fibromyalgia. As with sufferers of cancer or other painful diseases, different therapies work for different people.

Aerobic exercise is effective, explains Dr. Rusy, because it brings more oxygen to the muscles and decreases pain.

"People who suffer from fibromyalgia, like other chronic diseases, will have good days and bad days," she said. "But we can provide answers for sufferers and help them find things that work."

Each year, Medical College of Wisconsin physicians care for more than 180,000 patients, representing nearly 500,000 patient visits. Medical College physicians practice at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital, the Milwaukee VA Medical Center, and many other hospitals and clinics in Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin.