Fibromyalgia

Musculoskeletal pain specialist Giresh Kanji provides an update on fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia is a collection of symptoms and is best termed a syndrome. The collection of symptoms includes widespread pain, poor sleep, fatigue, brain fog and sometimes depression. A sensitivity to light, sound, touch and smell is also described. There is generalised tenderness, which is how you diagnose the syndrome.

Topics

intro
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how would we make this diagnosis?
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how common is fibromyalgia?
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what causes this pain and tenderness?
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the "Pain Experience"
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the pain stress cycle
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what about stress and poor sleep?
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Poor sleep fatigue cycle - what hormones are at play here?
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What about people living with chronic pain?
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Management of fibromyalgia
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can we reduce stress without tablets?
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meditation breathing
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exercise
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medications
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more traditional forms of analgesia
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Pain modification tablets
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take-home messages
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Take home messages

fibromyalgia is best thought of as a pain condition exacerbated by the stress system
manage the pain by reducing loading (activity and postural modifications)
manage the stress system by improving sleep (habits and tablets)

Resources

fibromyalgia fact sheet Australian Family Physician (AFP)
Endorsed Criteria American College of Rheumatology (ACR)
Key points about fibromyalgia Healthify - He Puna waiora
Supporting people impacted by fibromyalgia Complex Chronic Illness Support

Presenter

Giresh Kanji

Musculoskeletal Pain Specialist

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Dr Giresh Kanji is a Musculoskeletal Pain Specialist and Researcher. He explored the sensory amplification of pain in his PhD including the role of the human stress response. He has presented in NZ, Australia, Tahiti, USA and Europe.

He is an honorary Associate Professor at Auckland University, the chairperson of the NZ Pain Foundation and editor of Australasian Musculoskeletal Medicine. He is the author of “Fix Your Back”, “Fix Your Neck Pain, Headache and Migraine” and the 2019 New Zealand Bestseller about insomnia, anxiety and depression – “Brain Connections: How to sleep better, worry less and feel happier”.