If you suffer from Fibromyalgia or know anyone who does, you understand how debilitating this condition can be. Increasing amounts of research show a connection between childhood trauma and fibromyalgia. Before we dig into what this might mean for patients and future research on the disease, we need to be clear on what Fibromyalgia is.
What Is Fibromyalgia?
The CDC defines Fibromyalgia as a condition that causes pain all over your body. This is usually referred to as widespread pain. It also causes problems with sleep and fatigue, as well as mental and emotional distress. Typically, people with this condition are more sensitive to pain than others because they have what is called abnormal pain perception processing. Currently, the cause is still unknown and there is no true cure. Through treatment, symptoms can be managed. (1)
Symptoms of Fibromyalgia
There are a variety of symptoms that characterize this condition. The most common are (1):
- Widespread pain and stiffness
- Fatigue and tiredness
- Depression and anxiety
- Sleep problems
- Concentration, memory, and thinking problems
- Headaches and migraines
Typically the pain begins gradually with just overall achy quality. The pain will spread slowly and gets worse with muscle strain, fatigue, and overuse. (2) Other slightly less common symptoms include (1):
- Tingling or numbness in the hands and feet
- Face or jaw pain
- A jaw disorder known as temporomandibular joint syndrome (also known as TMJ)
- Digestive problems
- Abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Emotional distress, poor sleep, trauma, and exposure to dampness or cold can make these symptoms worse. What’s more, being told by family, friends, loved ones, strangers, and doctors that their pain is “all in their head” or isn’t real can also trigger the symptoms to be worse. Patients typically struggle with stress, anxiety, and depression, but are also ambitious and often high achievers. (2)
Fibromyalgia Treatment
Treatments for Fibromyalgia, which can often take up to two years to diagnose, include three prescription drugs. Many patients, however, don’t actually require prescription medications to manage the symptoms. Over-the-counter painkillers work well, as well as therapies such as (3):
- Chiropractic care
- Massage therapy
- Acupuncture
- Gentle exercise
Lifestyle changes, such as diet changes, exercise, proper sleep, and stress management techniques, may also help lessen the symptoms. (3)
Real Or Imagined?
The efficacy of Fibromyalgia – whether or not it is real pain or purely psychological – is often debated. One reason for this is because its symptoms are non-specific. This means that there is no test for it; rather, patients are diagnosed by ruling out other conditions. To be diagnosed, you must have been experiencing widespread pain for at least three months. (3)
Usually, the pain occurs in the same spot on both sides of the body, and patients can have up to 18 tender spots when pressed. Tender spot exams are not a requirement for diagnosis, but doctors will likely do one anyway. (3)
One of the biggest problems people who live with Fibromyalgia face is the lack of knowledge and education on the condition amongst doctors. When tests for other conditions come up negative, they may conclude that you are perfectly fine and it is all in your head. (3) Some doctors believe that maybe the cause of the condition is a lack of stage 4 (deep) sleep. This extra fatigue causes them to feel more pain, especially widespread pain. One study showed that a lack of sleep caused people without fibromyalgia to experience similar symptoms. (4)
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Mental Health, Fibromyalgia, and Childhood Trauma
There have been several studies done on the potential links between childhood trauma and chronic illness in adults, which includes Fibromyalgia. So far, this link is still not fully understood. One of the ideas is that it has to do with the body’s “flight or fight” stress response. (5)
When a child has a traumatic upbringing or is constantly under stress, this response remains highly active for an extended period of time. This constant state of stress can actually damage neural connections in a child’s developing brain. This causes an actual biological impact on that person as an adult, making them more susceptible to chronic illness and physiological diseases like Fibromyalgia. (5, 6) Chronic childhood stress actually weakens the neuroendocrine system and causes it to function in an abnormal way. This might be in part why Fibromyalgia patients perceive pain differently. (7, 8)
How Can This Link Be Addressed?
While this neural damage that was done in childhood is very difficult (if not impossible) to reverse, knowing that it exists is helpful for developing treatments. (8) Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy (EAET) is a new type of psychological therapy that has proven to be helpful for Fibromyalgia patients. (9)
EAET helps patients to process their emotional experiences. It does this by (10):
- Encouraging and providing a safe space to talk about past traumas and emotional struggles
- Learn how to express important feelings such as anger, sadness, gratitude, compassion, and forgiveness
- Empowers them to be more honest and direct within relationships that have been problematic
- Helps patients view their pain and other symptoms as coming from changeable neural pathways in the brain that are strongly influenced by emotions
Essentially, EAET helps patients to deal with their difficult pasts and “rescript” their brains so that they will maybe experience less pain or at least be able to manage it, along with their other symptoms, much better. Is EAET a cure for Fibromyalgia? No, but it is a step closer to understanding this complex and mysterious condition and will hopefully provide sufferers with some much-needed relief. (11)
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Sources
- “Fibromyalgia.” CDC
- “Fibromyalgia.” Merck Manuals. Joseph J. Biundo, MD. February 2020.
- “Diagnosing fibromyalgia.” Healthline. Valencia Higuera. January 8, 2020
- “Is Fibromyalgia Considered a Mental Illness?” E Medicine Health. John P. Cunha, DO, FACOEP.
- “Chronic pain and childhood trauma.” Health. Laura Kiesel. March 30, 2018.
- “Psychiatric comorbidity and childhood trauma in fibromyalgia syndrome.” NCBI. Nermin Gündüz, et al. February 25, 2018.
- “Fibromyalgia is Linked to Childhood Stress and Unprocessed Negative Emotions.” Good Therapy. Jeanette Raymond, Ph.D., Body-Mind Psychotherapy. October 29, 2010.
- “Early Life Adversity as a Risk Factor for Fibromyalgia in Later Life.” NCBI. Lucie A. Low, Petra Schweinhardt. October 12, 2011.
- “Emotional awareness and expression therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and education for fibromyalgia: a cluster-randomized controlled trial.” Journals. Lumley, Mark A., et al. December 2017.
- “New hope for people with fibromyalgia.” Science Daily. September 21, 2017.
- “Psychological Treatments for Fibromyalgia: A New Approach.” Very Well Health. Adrienne Dellwo. August 15, 2020.
Disclaimer: This information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment and is for information only. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions about your medical condition and/or current medication. Do not disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking advice or treatment because of something you have read here.