What Causes Fibromyalgia?

There is now a lab test that has been developed for fibromyalgia. Most laboratory tests are not very useful by themselves. Since 2012, a blood test called FM/a can identify markers produced by immune system blood cells in people with fibromyalgia.

One study showed the test can also help distinguish fibromyalgia from other conditions that can have similar symptoms, such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus.

Fibromyalgia is sometimes called a "wastepaper basket diagnosis", since if someone has aches and pains that can't be explained, they often receive the fibromyalgia diagnosis.

Research suggests that fibromyalgia may be caused by a combination of physical, neurological and psychological factors.

Your emotions and moods can affect the pain you feel and being depressed or anxious can further compound it.

Here Are Some Possible Fibromyalgia Triggers:

1. Chemical Imbalances - One of the potential causes of fibromyalgia is how your body processes pain. People with fibromyalgia process pain differently, as their levels of substance P, a chemical found in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that is responsible for transmitting pain impulses to the brain, are significantly higher, at least three times more compared to people without fibromyalgia.

Having higher levels of substance P makes the pain more intense. Research also found that having low levels of the hormones noradrenaline, serotonin, and dopamine in the brain is common among fibromyalgia sufferers.

These hormones are essential in regulating mood, appetite, sleep, behavior, and stress response. Changes in the levels of stress hormones like cortisol may contribute to fibromyalgia, too.

2. Genetics - A combination of inherited genetic mutations may play a role in developing fibromyalgia, which is why people who have a close relative (a sibling or a parent) who had this illness are at a higher risk of acquiring it, compared to people who have no relatives diagnosed with this disease.

3. Sleep Problems - Having disturbed sleep patterns or lacking deep sleep, may be a cause of fibromyalgia, and not just a symptom. It is in stage 4 sleep when the body refreshes itself, allowing the muscles to recover from the day’s activity. According to studies, people with fibromyalgia become more aroused when they enter stage 4 sleep, resulting in a lighter form of sleep. When researchers took volunteers and stopped them from entering stage 4 sleep, symptoms similar to fibromyalgia manifested as well.

4. Other Possible Triggers - Some physical conditions may exacerbate your risk of fibromyalgia. These include getting an injury, or repetitive injuries, giving birth, having a viral infection, getting surgery or a sudden change in climate, especially going from a warm to a cold climate.

Emotional or stressful events, may also increase the risk of fibromyalgia.

5. Health Ailments - Certain ailments or conditions can also trigger fibromyalgia, such as:

• Rheumatoid arthritis

• Osteoarthritis

• Lupus

• Ankylosing spondylitis

• TMJ

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