Up to 4% of the American population suffers from fibromyalgia, the majority of them women. A chronic condition that produces pain throughout the body, fibromyalgia’s causes aren’t fully understood, though the disease has been connected to stress, sleep disorders, and body chemistry.
Board-certified family nurse practitioner Savitri Gopaul of Commonwealth Pain Management and Wellness in Richmond, Virginia, specializes in treating musculoskeletal pain. Many of the pain therapies work well for fibromyalgia symptoms.
There’s no cure for fibromyalgia, so pain management is the primary treatment. Contact us for personalized and holistic care for your fibromyalgia.
Every patient has their own version of fibromyalgia, though there are many overlaps. The defining characteristic of the condition is pain that’s widespread. It’s also common that sleep doesn’t refresh a person with fibromyalgia, even when it seems you’ve been sleeping soundly.
Other common signs of fibromyalgia include:
Medical testing usually rules out other common causes for these symptoms, leaving behind a fibromyalgia diagnosis. Pain that lasts three or more months and covers four of five body regions defines the widespread pain criteria for diagnosis.
Generally, fibromyalgia treatment includes medical oversight and self-care, with a goal of minimizing pain symptoms while improving overall health.
There’s not a single therapy that addresses all of the signs of fibromyalgia that you experience, so a comprehensive treatment plan is usually necessary. Your treatment plan might include:
We don’t use opioid medications with fibromyalgia due to the risk of addiction. The chronic nature of fibromyalgia requires long-term strategies, and your body builds resistance to opioids, requiring larger doses that produce more extreme side effects.
Commonwealth Pain Management and Wellness focuses on conservative, holistic care using modalities that deliver effective results while emphasizing all aspects of your health.
Your fibromyalgia treatment starts by contacting Commonwealth Pain Management and Wellness, by phone or online, to request an appointment today.
