Is Fibromyalgia a Psychosomatic Disorder? by Groshan Fabiola
Fibromyalgia is a very complex disorder and despite the ongoing efforts of modern medicine to reveal the exact factors responsible for causing it, the phenomenon is still shrouded in mystery. In the absence of accurate data on fibromyalgia, medical scientists can only speculate upon certain aspects of the disorder.
The process of diagnosing fibromyalgia is very problematic. Fibromyalgia generates a wide spectrum of symptoms but rarely leaves any physical traces, rendering doctors unable to diagnose the disorder clinically. People with the disorder appear to be in perfect health when they are physically examined and doctors are often tempted to conclude that fibromyalgia is actually a psychosomatic condition.
Due to poor understanding of the phenomenon, fibromyalgia was commonly misdiagnosed in the past. When the concept of fibromyalgia became popular, anyone who had muscular pain and body weakness and didn't show any physical signs of disease was considered to be affected by this type of disorder. Also, the nature of fibromyalgia was considered to be purely psychological.
In present, the process of diagnosing fibromyalgia is more elaborate and certainly more conclusive. Although the concept of fibromyalgia is still relatively vague, modern medicine has found important clues that can suggest the physiological aspect of fibromyalgia.
Physicians have identified the presence of certain tender points in all people with fibromyalgia. It seems that all patients with the disorder experience intense pain in the same particular regions of the body, revealing the implication of the nervous system in causing fibromyalgia. The neurological aspect of fibromyalgia can be confirmed by computerized tomography, which usually reveals abnormal activity in several areas of the brain. Although this fact doesn't provide enough answers to medical scientists, it proves that fibromyalgia is the result of neurological dysfunctions.
However, not all people who complain about having the symptoms of fibromyalgia show signs of neurological dysfunctions, suggesting that there may also be other causes for the disorder. Scientists believe that fibromyalgia may also be caused by underlying hormonal problems, poor nutrition, stress and lack of sleep. Stress, inappropriate nutrition and sleep problems are suspected to cause symptoms such as body weakness, fatigue, anxiety and poor concentration, while hormonal dysfunctions seem to be responsible for generating fibromyalgia pain. Most people with fibromyalgia appear to have deficient levels of serotonin, a substance that regulates the pain signals that travel from the nervous receptors to the brain. Fibromyalgia is also considered to occur due to poor muscle oxygenation, causing symptoms of pain and stiffness of the muscular tissues.
In present, medical scientists are unable to determine the exact causes of fibromyalgia. However, modern medicine has recently concluded upon the fact that fibromyalgia is a physiological disorder, dismissing the theories that supported its psychological nature.
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