Chronic Pain Conditions That Interfere With Sleep

Fibromyalgia and Arthritis

Middle aged and older people, especially women, are commonly inflicted by Fibromyalgia and Arthritis. Both are inflammatory type diseases triggering the joints.

Fibromyalgia is a common disease, affecting from 2 to almost 6 percent of all people. Women are much more likely to develop fibromyalgia than men (by a ratio of 4 to 1). The incidence of it increases with age, and it is most common in women 50 years of age or older. Researchers are not sure of the cause of fibromyalgia, however a number of potentially responsible factors have been suggested.

For many people fibromyalgia develops gradually without any known cause. Others attribute its onset to a variety of triggers including problems with the joints in the neck and low back, motor vehicle accidents, work-related injuries, viral illnesses, surgery, infections, emotional trauma, or physical or emotional stress.

Fibromyalgia can be difficult to diagnose because its symptoms can be non-defining and mimic other diseases. Patients must persist in getting a proper diagnosis. Fibromyalgia primarily occurs in women of childbearing age.

Children, the elderly, and men can also be affected. Non-restorative sleep is a major symptom; those affected sleep, but lightly and do not feel rested. Besides the defining symptoms of pain, muscle fatigue and tenderness there are other non-defining symptoms associated with fibromyalgia.

This list is not exhaustive and includes stiffness especially in the morning, and pain (tender points) in muscles and joints all over the body, trouble sleeping at night and a feeling of being very tired all the time.

Numbness in muscles and joints on the body suffer from memory and concentration. Other warning signs may include depression, tension and migraine headaches, and pain in the jaw.

More Information About Arthritis

When referring to Arthritis in this document, reference is made to Osteoarthritis (not to confuse this with Rheumatoid Arthritis).

Osteoarthritis is an inflammatory disease that causes the breakdown of joint tissue, leading to joint pain and stiffness. It can affect any joint, but commonly occurs in the hips, knees, feet and spine. It also may affect some finger joints, the joint at the base of the thumb and the joint at the base of the big toe. It rarely affects the wrists, elbows, shoulders, ankles or jaw, except as a result of injury or unusual stress. Inflammation, swelling, and, most importantly, pain are hallmarks of arthritis.

Osteoarthritis is one of the oldest and most common diseases in humans. It probably affects almost every person over age 60 years to some degree, but only some have it badly enough to notice any symptoms. Although there is no cure for osteoarthritis, proper treatment can help relieve the symptoms and prevent or correct serious joint problems.