Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a long-term common condition that can cause widespread pain in the muscles, tendons and ligaments. It's thought that as many as 1 person in every 25 may suffer from it. More women than men are affected and the condition varies a great deal from one person to another and from day to day.

The condition is difficult to diagnose as the symptoms may have other causes such as underactive thyroid glad. There are no specific tests to confirm fibromyalgia but blood tests are often suggested to rule out other conditions.

Exercise can help as the muscles will often feel stiff and tense which makes them more susceptible to sprains and strains. It's important to reduce this tension by stretching your muscles regularly. Any exercise should be paced for you as an individual. Sometimes pain and tiredness become worse at first. Try and do the same amount of exercise each day for a while to build up muscle strength and stamina levels. Increase your exercise little by little. Activities such as yoga have been shown to help some people with fibromyalgia.

Complementary treatments such as an osteopath may temporarily ease the pain an discomfort for some people.

Podiatry can help by giving advice on foot pain and exercises relevant to the lower limb.