A new facebook group - FMYP (Fibromyalgia and Young People) - has been setup to give young people affected by Fibro a chance to chat together.
January 2009
Breakfast at The Elms (Leigh) - Saturday 31 January 2009
We're arranging to meet up for Breakfast again at The Elms - the Wetherspoons in Leigh, on the A13. It's an informal gathering, open to all. Their breakfasts and tea/coffee is reasonably priced, and these events have proved a popular way of getting to know others who are affected by Fibro - be they sufferers or family/friends.
If you want to know any more about this please get in touch, otherwothers'll maybe see you there - sometime between 10am and noon.
Online membership records
We will shortly be adding details of membership to our online database. This data is held securely and information is available only to the management committee members that need access to it, and the user to whom the data relates. Yes, you'll be able to read anything we note about you!
New Facebook group for Young People with Fibro
Steve now Regional Co-ordinator for London and Essex
FMAUK have recently appointed Steve as Regional Co-ordinator for London and Essex. Anyone visiting the national FMAUK website wanting local information will now be passed onto us. Similarly, anyone interested in setting up local groups in otyher parts of Essex and London will be supported by Steve.
Common Symptoms - Headaches
Fibromyalgia sufferers often experience headaches - there are many different triggers for them, often other conditions related or possibly related to fibromyalgia, including:
Common Symptoms - Joint Pain
Joint pain and stiffness are usually found in those with fibromyalgia. This is mostly related to pain at the muscle and tendon insertions into the joint area and is not a reflection of actual joint pathology or inflammation.
Common Symptoms - Numbness
There may be tingling, numbness, or feelings of heat or cold with fibromyalgia. These abnormal sensations are called paresthesia and may radiate or travel to different locations. For example, painful muscle areas in the upper back may cause arms to become painful and tingling even though no problem in the arm is present. The skin is also described as extremely sensitive and painful in many people with fibromyalgia.
Common Symptoms - Swelling
Weather changes can also cause fibromyalgia symptoms to increase, especially if it is cold or damp. It appears that muscles act like weather barometers. When it is cold and damp, perhaps our muscles absorb more moisture or are more swollen or sensitive which may cause the increased pain. Whatever the reason, the majority of people with fibromyalgia do better in warm, dry regions or during warmer, drier seasons. There are of course those who cannot tolerate heat and prefer cooler conditions.
Common Symptoms - Cold Intolerance
People with fibromyalgia are very sensitive to weather changes especially cold, damp conditions and cold drafts. One major enemy is cold air conditioner draughts, which can exacerbate neck and shoulder pain. Even if we are completely relaxed and enjoying ourselves, a cold draughts on exposed skin overlying tender muscle areas can cause an automatic reflexive reaction, sending a signal to the muscles and causing muscle pain.
Common Symptoms - Multiple Tender Points
The tender points are important in diagnosing fibromyalgia, though will rarely be noticed until pressure – even gentle pressure – is applied to them.
For fibromyalgia to be diagnosed there will usually have been widespread pain – both above and below the waist, and on both sides of the body – for at least three months, and pain in at least 11 of the 18 tender points when they are pressed.
