Fibromyalgia vs Myofascial Pain Syndrome - Page 2
© Cynthia Webber (Jausten)
Cognitive deficits in fibromyalgia are also present in myofascial pain syndrome but the deficits are due to proprioceptor dysfunction and autonomic concommittants. Also, if one is on many different medications in order to relieve pain, help sleep, or deal with depression, they may also have times when their brain seems to be in a fog. The fog of fibromyalgia is a real condition, and although it is unknown what causes it, it is specific to fibromyalgia and not myofascial pain syndrome. However, there are aspects of myofascial pain that do affect the perceptions.
Learning to differentiate between these two separate syndromes within our own bodies is easier when we learn to listen to our pain. Those of us who have both conditions can learn to feel the difference between a trigger point and a tender point, and thus we can find ways which will reduce the trigger points and the pain that they cause us. The deep aching and burning pain of a fibromyalgia flare is different than the pain of multiple trigger points which can rear their ugly heads on occasion. It is possible to reduce trigger point pain by massage or even relaxing in a bath, but during a severe fibromyalgia flare, we may not want our bodies to be touched by even a single sheet on our beds.
Our role is to learn to differentiate which syndrome we are dealing with, educate ourselves about the differences between these two syndromes, and learn how to listen to our bodies to see which type of pain we are actually dealing with so we can treat ourselves in the best possible ways.
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