Explaining Fibromyalgia

I just read a great explanation of Fibromyalgia over on the Faith, Family and Fibromyalgia blog. If you have Fibro, the illustrations will resound with you and possibly give you a simple word picture to use to help explain yourself to others. If you don't have Fibro, this story may give you more understanding for your friend or loved one who does. You'll want to read the whole article in detail, but here's a taste:

Imagine you’re planning a party and expecting about 20 guests. Three or four friends told you they’d come early to help you out. But they don’t show, and instead of 20 guests, you get 100. You’re overwhelmed.
That’s what’s happening with pain signals in someone who has fibromyalgia. The cells send too many pain messages (party guests), up to five times as many as in a healthy person. That can turn mild pressure or even an itch into pain. When those pain signals reach the brain, they’re processed by something called serotonin. People with fibromyalgia, however, don’t have enough serotonin (the friends who didn’t show up to help), leaving the brain overwhelmed.
This is why people with fibromyalgia have pain in tissues that show no sign of damage. It’s not imagined pain; it’s misinterpreted sensation that the brain turns into actual pain. Other substances in the patient’s brain amplify a host of other signals — essentially, “turning up the volume” of everything. That can include light, noise and odor on top of pain, and it can further overload the brain...

Just two more days until Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Awareness Day. The Whittemore Peterson Institute (WPI) is building an international network of Advocates who are dedicated to finding a cure for neuro-immune diseases (NID). Learn about May Awareness at ANIDA.