Your constant head pain can be fibromyalgia!

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KUALA LUMPUR: “It is just a pain in your head, just ignore it,” a doctor once told Mary Gaspar, 54, when she consulted him for the continuous pain she had been suffering from.

Mary had been working in a bank before she suffered the unexplained pain since 2005.

“I was told much later, I could have suffered from fibromyalgia or FM in short, since 2005.

“It made me go through a tough state of depression. I was not able to walk and sleep. All these made me cry day and night,” Mary explained further.

That would be the one advice a patient should not take seriously from their doctors but instead, seek a second opinion.

“The pain they feel is real. With the right help, it can be effectively managed,” Dr Mary Suma Cardosa, Consultant Anaesthesiologist at Selayang Hospital as well as the president elect of Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) told attendees to an afternoon session of revelations by South East Asia Fibromyalgia Awareness, Concerns and Trends Survey (Seafacts), recently.

The press conference was organised by Pfizer Inc and it opened the eyes of many who were not aware of such disease.

What causes fibromyalgia or this FM syndrome? Professor Ramani Vijayan, the President of Malaysian Association for the Study of Pain, noted: “There is no scientific consensus as to the cause of this disease.

“It could have developed in individuals with certain vulnerability elements. It may arise from biological factors such as genetics, age, trauma, gender or a tissue injury.

“Depression, anxiety, a person’s belief about pain and coping strategies are just as important.

“Two to five per cent of the people are affected by this debilitating and chronic pain condition.

“It is occurring more often in the young to middle aged females.

“It is characterised by musculoskeletal pain and tenderness in the up, down, left and right regions of the body,” Ramani added.

FM is said to be seven to nine times more common in females.

People with FM are actually suffering from a significant disability and reduced quality of life.

The most vulnerable age group suffering this most common pain condition is between 30 and 65 years of age.

Patients suffering from fibromyalgia will experience symptoms like stiffness, muscle cramps, fatigue and depression.

The severity of pain felt is widespread thus this chronic though not life threatening condition should not be misunderstood.

However, FM has yet to record cases affecting children and those below the age of 20.

According to survey results, one out of five Malaysian patients found their quality of life and ability to participate in hobbies have been strongly impacted by this disease.

And four out of 10 FM sufferers or 38 per cent, agreed that FM had caused their quality of work to deteriorate.

“Three quarters of GPs and almost all specialists surveyed agreed that fibromyalgia is not well understood among many physicians.

“Education, training and support from physicians are the keys to enabling them to help manage FM patients,” said Dr Mary Cardosa.

Most FM patients have to wait between 3.3 to 15.4 months, with an average of two physician visits before receiving an accurate diagnosis.

FM sufferers worldwide, also have to endure tenderness at almost eleven different points — top or bottom, left and right.

Treatment and management of FM involves a multi-faceted approach.

It includes exercise, behavioural management and lastly the approved medication.

Patients suffering from FM are dependent on complete medication reliance until they feel better or learn to manage their fibromyalgia, coping with the management procedures.

Sadly, there are no available laboratory tests to diagnose the symptoms of FM.

Forty million people suffer from this chronic pain disease worldwide.

“A total of 506 people took the survey in South East Asia. A total of 941 physicians were also asked about their understanding on fibromyalgia.

“The outcome proved that the disease is poorly understood by both quarters.

“The survey also revealed that this negatively impactful disease can cause people experiencing the chronic condition to suffer serious financial consequences, from the condition, including the inability to work,” said Professor Ramani, also shared when the Seafact Survey results were revealed.

Pregabalin was the first drug approved for prescription by the US FDA for the treatment of fibromyalgia.

The drug was effective, it reduced symptoms of pain, disturbed sleeps and fatigue.

Patients and physicians from Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand took part in this Seafact survey, held from June right through August 2009.

Currently there are no short cuts to relieving an FM sufferer of pain.

Drugs alone will not take the debilitating pains away but they will ease one’s suffering if the medications; as prescribed by a physician or upon referrals to a specialist, is taken with a consistent exercise session, done after sufficient knowledge had been acquired.

“I had to learn how to manage my pain. I exposed myself to the standing and sitting tolerance to extend pain endurance.

“I cannot and must not lift anything as it would exert more pressure on the pain I felt.

“I began to think positively and that had helped me to cope better,” said Mary Gaspar, accompanied throughout the afternoon session by her supportive husband.

Seeking the doctor’s advice even if the pain felt was at one isolated area only, is a must do.

Mary insists that exercising is the main key towards managing one’s FM pain.

“Having an FM support group is another option to expedite the know-your-disease factor.

“Informing the patients and their family members at home on the hypersensitivity to pain conditions suffered, is very essential.

“It would help patients feel less awkward talking about the pain they feel and possible home remedies to try on,” Dr Mary also recommended.

Fibromyalgia is not an imaginary pain.

It is a disease that has yet to set its clinical practice guidelines for physicians to follow through.

If you feel pain and tenderness upon self pain examination, reach out for help and visit a physician for the next positive step forward. — Bernama