HOW MANY FIBROMYALGIA TENDER POINTS DO YOU HAVE?
In addition to pain, fibromyalgia is associated with extreme fatigue, sleep disturbances, joint stiffness, digestive problems, depression, numbness, tingling, and difficulty concentrating. The pain of fibromyalgia is described as Tender Points. These painful points usually occur in certain areas of the body. There are nine pairs of Tender Points (18 in all) found on both sides of your body. Where Are Fibromyalgia Tender Points Located?1. Behind the ear where the neck muscles attach to the back of the head.2. About halfway between the bottom of the neck and the outside of the shoulder. 3. Below the second trigger point where the back muscles attach to the shoulder blade. 4. Above the collarbone in the front of the neck. 5. On both sides of the breastbone two inches below the collarbone. 6. On the outside of both arms right below the elbow. 7. On the outside of both buttock muscles. 8. On the outer upper legs behind the bony part of the hip. 9. On the inside of both knees. Fibromyalgia may be diagnosed if you have had widespread generalized pain lasting more than three months, and you have 11 out of the 18 possible tender points throughout your body. There is no known cure for fibromyalgia, but many treatments have been found to reduce symptoms considerably. The Tender Points found in Fibromyalgia are sometimes called Trigger Points, but they are not the same thing. When you press on a Trigger Point, pain radiates from the point. When you press on a Fibromyalgia Tender Point, the pain is felt only at that point. Trigger points are found in people suffering with Chronic Myofascial Pain. Tender Points are found in people suffering with Fibromyalgia. Just a light touch can cause terrible pain in a Fibromyalgia Tender Point. Best Treatment for Fibromyalgia Tender PointsToday there are many good tools available that make self treatment of Muscle Tender Points easy to do in the comfort of your home.The tool that I always have within reach of my desk so that I can treat my own muscle tender points can be seen at this link to amazonBody Back Buddy Self Massage Tool. There are many other treatments that have been very successful at relieving tender points. The following is a list of treatments I have found to help my patients with Fibromyalgia Tender Points:
Heat Therapy Ice Therapy Tens Therapy Yoga Therapy Inversion Therapy Pain Relief Gel Back Pain Chair Best Mattress Chiropractic Cervical Pillow Lumbar Pillow Fibromyalgia Diet Vitamin D Fibromyalgia Vitamins Herbal Remedies Warm Baths Acupuncture Therapeutic Massage Regular Adequate Sleep Regular Exercise 20-30 minutes of moderate exercise If these conservative treatments are not enough to manage your pain you can ask your doctor for medication. There are many over the counter and prescription medications that may help. Because all medications have potentially dangerous side effects, I would always try conservative methods first. Remember, Fibromyalgia Symptoms get better and worse with changes in weather, your activity level, your stress level, the amount of sleep you get, and sometimes for reasons unknown. So once youve improved your diet and have gotten regular with exercise, dont stop if you have a flare up of pain. Keep doing these things as part of your life long fibromyalgia management program. To Your Best Health, Dr. Cliff
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