Thousands of people in the United States suffer from the poorly understood complex of symptoms known as fibromyalgia. No one is sure exactly what causes fibromyalgia or even what causes the symptoms. In fact, diagnostic criteria have only recently been established for fibromyalgia, and many physicians still believe it doesn't exist and that the symptoms are psychosomatic.
About nine times as many women as men have fibromyalgia. Many times, people with fibromyalgia can point to a specific time when symptoms began, and can link it to trauma, serious illness or stress. Fibromyalgia most often occurs in adults aged 20-50. Fibromyalgia may or may not improve over time. It is not a progressive disease in that it does not continue to get worse over time. Rather, fibromyalgia is characterized by ups and downs, periods of remission and relapse, good days and bad.
Many symptoms are associated with fibromyalgia. Headaches, stiff muscles, irritable bowel syndrome, tingling and numbness in the feet and legs and sleep disturbances are common. Many people complain of cognitive problems, especially difficulty concentrating and thinking, commonly known as "fibro fog." Nearly all fibromyalgia sufferers complain of fatigue.
The diagnosis of fibromyalgia is, however, made on the basis of pain. The diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia are: pain in all four quadrants of the body for at least three months and tenderness in at least 11 of 18 "trigger points."
Even though we don't yet know what causes fibromyalgia, research is beginning to uncover some answers. Researchers are beginning to notice differences in the central nervous system of people with fibromyalgia. One theory is that there is a specific gene that causes fibromyalgia sufferers to transmit and interpret pain signals differently than other people.
Another theory has to do with vitamin B12. People with fibromyalgia have unusually high concentrations of homocystiene and low levels of vitamin B12 in their cerebrospinal fluid.
Cerebrospinal fluid is the fluid that circulates around and through the brain and spinal column. It cushions and nourishes nervous tissue in the central nervous system. Homocystiene is a substance our bodies need to make the neurotransmitters dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine. Vitamin B12 is needed to convert homocystiene into these neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are involved in all the functions and processes of the central nervous system, including the transmission and interpretation of pain.
It may be that vitamin B12 deficiency is at least partially responsible for the symptoms of fibromyalgia. If you have fibromyalgia, it is possible that extra vitamin B12 might help, and it certainly won't hurt. The best way to get the vitamin B12 you need is by using the B12 Patch.
