Rheumatoid Fibromyalgia: Understanding Symptoms, Causes & Management

Rheumatoid fibromyalgia is a condition that causes severe pain to spread through the body. This condition is chronic and also results in increased sensitivity to pressure that is applied to the afflicted areas.

Symptoms

• Aside from chronic pain, rheumatoid fibromyalgia can also cause problems in the bowel and bladder, swallowing difficulties, numbness and tingling.

Classification

• Rheumatoid fibromyalgia is not officially classified as a disease and is considered medically unexplained at this point because of a lack of abnormalities detected in those diagnosed with it.

Cause

• Now affecting from 2 to 4 percent of Americans, rheumatoid fibromyalgia's cause has not yet been determined. Potential causes include prolonged stress and neurological differences.

Cures

• No cure has been discovered for rheumatoid fibromyalgia, but some methods prove to be successful at symptom reduction during clinical trials. Among these methods are medications, psychological and behavioral therapy, and exercise.

Diagnosis

• Due to rheumatoid fibromyalgia's lack of official classification, it is difficult and controversial to diagnose it. The condition is often mistaken for other rheumatoid problems such as osteoporosis and arthritis.