Does Adolescent Fibromyalgia Exist

For decades Fibromyalgia has been debated over and over again whether or not it really exists, however, fibromyalgia is nowadays being accepted and is well acknowledged among doctors acquainted with the syndrome. There a couple of professionals who remain,and still consider that the symptoms of fibromyalgia are a product of depressed female hypochondriacs. Those who sufferer from fibromyalgia, are mostly women, in fact more than 80 % are women in their 30's and 40's. However, adolescent fibromyalgia is becoming much more wide spread in the last couple of decades.

Fibromyalgia is a connective tissue and auto-immune syndrome characterized by up to 18 painful trigger points on the body. A few of the symptoms of Fibromyalgia is chronic fatigue, sleep disturbance, irritable bowel disorder, depression, sensitivity to heat and cold, oral thrush and vulnerability to colds and the flu. While the syndrome has been studied and researched thoroughly, the cause for fibromyalgia still remains unknown; it is only by addressing its symptoms that long-term sufferers can find some relief.

Identifying Adolescent Fibromyalgia

Most rheumatologists who treat adolescent fibromyalgia patients believe that the condition is under-diagnosed. In alot of ways, the stereotype of fibromyalgia existing as an adult female's syndrome is still widely accepted. All the same, a exhaustive patient history of an teenager exhibiting complaints can tip off a knowledgeable doctor that the history and physical examination exposes the presence of adolescent fibromyalgia. This syndrome can camouflage itself as several additional unrelated preconditions such as the fatigue of mononucleosis, deficiency in restorative sleep due to social anxiety, joint and muscle soreness due to sports activities, and the psychological "angst" of merely being a adolescent. Therefore, the genuine syndrome of adolescent fibromyalgia is frequently misdiagnosed and untreated.

As is the case with most adult women, adolescent fibromyalgia takes place amongst girls who have reached the years of menstruation. Because there are no documented instances of adolescent fibromyalgia amidst pre-adolescent girls, this might support the long-held theory that women are further susceptible to this syndrome because of hormonal fluctuations, particularly once they're pre-menstrual or in menopause. The onset of Adolescent fibromyalgia seems to occur with the starting of menstruation, breast growth, and the development of pubic hair.

It is not uncommon for many teenagers with fibromyalgia to normally have a mother or older sibling with this syndrome. They usually come in for medical checkup after a concerned mother recognizes the development of the classic pattern of symptoms that she knows very intimately. The treatment for adolescent fibromyalgia is almost identical to that of adult women; the focal point is all about alleviating the pain, usually with non-narcotic and non-steroidal drugs and as well as medication that regenerates deep REM sleep. Gabapentin and tricyclic antidepressant drugs such as Elavil can alleviate the pain from the painful trigger points on the body. Teenagers with fibromyalgia may also find that doing low-impact stretching exercises can also be very beneficial in experiencing pain relief.