Learning about Primary Pain after over a decade of not knowing what was causing my fibromyalgia has been a complete game-changer.
Lisa Z.
Learning about Primary Pain after over a decade of not knowing what was causing my fibromyalgia has been a complete game-changer.
Fibromyalgia is a condition characterized by widespread muscle pain lasting longer than six months. People with fibromyalgia generally experience pain that migrates across the body, impacting various parts of the body over time.
In addition to persistent pain, people with fibromyalgia often experience fatigue, sleep disruption, gastrointestinal issues, anxiety, depression, and “fibro fog” (memory loss and/or lack of concentration).
For many people, fibromyalgia frequently presents alongside other illnesses, including chronic fatigue syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune conditions like lupus, irritable bowel syndrome, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Raynaud’s Syndrome, and others.
For many years, the cause of fibromyalgia pain remained uncertain. Recent advances in pain science, however, have led to a better understanding of the causes of fibromyalgia and other chronic pain conditions.
Fibromyalgia is now classified as a Chronic Primary Pain condition, a classification with important implications. Chronic Primary Pain refers to pain that is not caused by structural damage to the body, but rather by sensitization of the nervous system, sometimes referred to as “central sensitization.”
To put it simply, fibromyalgia pain is caused by a person’s nervous system being on “high alert,” leading to heightened sensations of pain in the body. The good news is that Chronic Primary Pain is highly treatable.
The new classification of fibromyalgia as a Primary Pain condition suggests that fibromyalgia pain can be greatly reduced through Primary Pain treatment.