FIBROMYALGIA IN CHILDREN

Fibromyalgia in Children

Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain disorder which is caused due to stiffness, fatigue and tenderness in many areas. This disease affects about 5 million Americans and many under the age 18. It is mostly located in the hips, chest, thighs, neck and buttocks. The children feel swollen and inflamed and even can get headaches and tummy aches. This disease cannot be diagnosed by the laboratory tests like blood tests or X-rays, so the doctor should be consulted.

This disease is harder to diagnose in children. This disease is most common in girls as compared to boys. The children get this disease at the age of 11-15 when they hit puberty. Fibromyalgia develops when the children have problems like short of sleep at night. The cause and the condition of this disease are not known. Children will likely to develop this disease if their parents are having FMS. The children get angry or frustrated easily when this disease is caused.

The disease fibromyalgia can be treated in children. There is no cure means there is no medicine available for this disease. There are various treatments by which children can be treated with this disease and they are:-

Medication

Exercises

Therapy

Education

Children should take a healthy and balanced diet. One should perform mild exercises like walking and swimming and even do the therapy in which one can talk about their feelings and must be aware about the general information of the disease. Certain medications such as antidepressants, muscle relaxers and anti-inflammatories etc can be done by the children having fibromyalgia.

If this disease develops in children they should talk to the parents and adults.

If the children are experiencing pain, they cannot qualify or quantify pain. So, they should not be ignored by the parents and adults and they should be treated with medical treatment.

The doctor and the parents can deal in the following ways when the children are having fibromyalgia and they are:-

Talk with the child honestly and some age appropriate facts should be given.

The adults should have the complete knowledge about the condition before talking to the child.

Various internet-based support groups and face to face groups are available to deal with the condition.

Variety of books, pamphlets and brochures should be consulted.

Reading materials and the basic overview of the condition is provided by the doctor.

So, while treating with fibromyalgia, parents and doctor should be polite.