In some instances, fibromyalgia can take years to get a proper diagnosis. Some patients looking for fibromyalgia relief in Pataskala may have exhibited symptoms of other health conditions that mimic fibromyalgia symptoms. These things can get confusing and challenging for doctors and healthcare professionals hence the difficulty in getting a proper diagnosis immediately.
Diagnosing fibromyalgia may be easier if laboratory tests, blood tests, or even a test kit can confirm it for you. However, it is not the case, and experts usually determine a fibromyalgia diagnosis through the symptoms a patient experiences.
But it's not an easy feat as several conditions share the same symptoms. For example, lupus is commonly mistaken with fibromyalgia and vice versa due to the symptoms they share, including widespread pain in the body. So how can we differentiate fibromyalgia and lupus? Are there other conditions that can confuse a fibromyalgia diagnosis? We will explore more of them in this article.
Apart from widespread pain in the body, these two health conditions share other similar symptoms that cause people to confuse fibromyalgia and lupus. Some of these include:
Despite the similarities, these two conditions are not identical, and there are notable differences between these chronic health issues.
Lupus is an autoimmune condition, and this is one of the most significant differences between the two illnesses. An autoimmune condition brings health problems due to your immune system attacking your body. Lupus can potentially target many different systems and organs, which brings a wide array of symptoms that can mimic various other health conditions. There is also a possibility that lupus patients may not experience the majority of the symptoms that are similar to fibromyalgia.
Here are the symptoms that can set lupus and fibromyalgia apart:
The primary reason and true nature of fibromyalgia remain unknown. But researchers have already determined that this chronic condition is not musculoskeletal and is leaning towards a neurological condition linked to your central nervous system. This usually creates a misconception that the pain is all in your head, but that has already been debunked. Instead, the pain and discomfort felt by fibromyalgia patients are very much real and related to the central nervous system, which means that the pain is linked to how the brain and body communicate.
Here are some notable symptoms that can help determine if you have fibromyalgia:
Other health conditions that mimic fibromyalgia symptoms add to the challenge of diagnosing fibromyalgia correctly. Some of the common health concerns that are mistaken for fibromyalgia are the following:
It an autoimmune disorder that affects the brain and spinal cord and brings symptoms of fatigue, pain, brain fog, and insomnia.
This is another autoimmune disorder that brings symptoms of fatigue, weakness, and constant pain.
This refers to an inflammatory disease causing widespread pain, usually in the joints and muscles, as well as stiffness, widespread achiness, and interrupted sleep.
This is an inflammatory type of arthritis causing back pain, fatigue, lower back pain, jaw pain, and GI issues.
This refers to a thyroid disease causing memory loss, constipation, and muscle weakness. This condition can happen to patients with fibromyalgia, making diagnosing it more difficult.
Usually, this condition brings feelings of weakness, exhaustion, and headaches.
Fibromyalgia and CFS are somehow similar, so it's not surprising to confuse these two. They share symptoms like brain fog, headaches, poor sleep, and constant exhaustion.
We encourage everyone living with fibromyalgia to have their upper cervical spine checked for any misalignment contributing to their symptoms. Upper cervical chiropractic is a natural remedy that shows potential in managing and reducing fibromyalgia symptoms.
Fibromyalgia can get triggered by psychological or physical stress, including injury and trauma close to the neck or head. This incident can cause upper cervical bones to shift out of alignment. This misalignment can eventually trigger different symptoms due to the pressure it brings to the brainstem, which can malfunction and sends distorted and improper signals to and from the brain and body.
Wrong signals sent to and from the brain can make a light touch perceived as something more severe, just like when you have fibromyalgia. The wrong signals stimulate the pain receptors, making the person feel the pain that does not exist or is not usually painful.
Our upper cervical chiropractic doctor, Dr. David Claggett, can safely and gently manipulate a misaligned upper cervical spine. He uses sophisticated techniques to assess postural imbalances and provide customized chiropractic adjustments to patients, regardless of age, gender, or work background.
Patients can directly call our office to get fibromyalgia relief in Pataskala through upper cervical chiropractic care. Book your appointment using our online contact form or by calling (740) 951-0011. So let us help you unlock your wellness potential; call us today!
To schedule a consultation with Dr. Claggett, call our Pataskala office at 740-951-0011. You can also click the button below.
If you are outside of the local area, you can find an Upper Cervical Doctor near you at www.uppercervicalawareness.com.
