Ms. Ni, who is over 500 years old, is helpless due to pain all over her body. In order to identify the cause, she was hospitalized for diagnosis and treatment. On examination, doctors found that she had osteoporosis, but it seemed insufficient to explain the pain that had plagued Ms. Ni for months. What’s even more strange is that the chest tightness and chest pain came one after another, and Ms. Ni, who was already suffering, was even more troubled. After ruling out cardiovascular disease, the doctor prescribed symptomatic treatment for her. In the early morning of the next day, Ms. Ni told the doctor with a smile on her face: She slept until dawn, with no pain in her body, no tightness in her chest, and all symptoms were eliminated. Ms. Ni’s treatment response confirmed the doctor’s judgment – fibromyalgia.
Fibromyalgia, also known as fibromyalgia syndrome, is a common chronic diffuse pain syndrome. The global incidence rate is 2% to 8%. With the aging of the population and the increase of psychological pressure, the incidence rate is gradually increasing. The disease is more common in women over the age of 40, especially women between the ages of 50 and 60, and the number of female patients is three times that of men. Although the incidence of fibromyalgia syndrome ranks second in the field of rheumatology, people are not aware of it and the awareness rate is low.
The symptoms of the disease are diverse. Due to the lack of specific laboratory indicators, the diagnosis is basically based on the collection of clinical manifestations. In addition to body pain and morning stiffness, it is often accompanied by symptoms such as Ms. Ni: chest tightness, palpitation, insomnia, anxiety, fatigue, etc., which requires comprehensive screening and careful screening. Fibromyalgia syndrome can also be secondary to other rheumatic diseases such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, systemic lupus erythematosus, Behçet’s syndrome, etc., and can also be secondary to non-rheumatic diseases such as thyroid Dysfunction, malignant tumor, etc. In conclusion, once diffuse pain of unknown origin occurs, early diagnosis and early treatment should be made.
The treatment of fibromyalgia syndrome requires a combination of antidepressant drugs, supplemented by education, psychological adjustment, aerobic exercise and other non-drug therapies for different individuals. Considering that the adverse reactions of antidepressants are difficult to overcome and resolve, traditional Chinese medicine is worth trying because it has the characteristics of psychosomatic harmony and few adverse reactions.
Traditional Chinese medicine considers fibromyalgia syndrome as tendon arthralgia, which belongs to the five-body arthralgia. The disease is located in the bones and muscles, and is related to the heart, liver, and kidneys. Most of the symptoms are due to insufficient heart qi, insomnia of liver stagnation, stagnation of qi and blood stasis, and blockage of meridians. Traditional Chinese medicine pays attention to overall treatment and “lasting peace”, adopts visceral qi and blood meridian differentiation and treatment, nourishes the heart and blood, softens the liver and soothes the tendons, nourishes the kidney and strengthens the bones, regulates the qi and activates the blood, clears the meridians and collaterals, and calms the mind. For both treatment, combined with Chinese medicine soaking, acupuncture, ear acupuncture, massage, emotional recuperation, qigong exercise and other Chinese medicine methods to balance the functions of qi, blood and zang-fu organs, and help patients achieve physical and mental health.
Chen Weiwei (Chief Physician, Department of Rheumatology, Shanghai Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital)