Does Fibromyalgia Still Have a Credibility Problem?
Other changes that come with the disease
Although the changes in the brain are now accepted to be central to the disease's development, however, peripheral changes like inflammation, ischemia, and microtrauma play a role in initiation and maintenance of a painful centralized state.
A person living with fibromyalgia may develop postural changes, behavioral changes, and even a fear to move because of the painful condition. As the disease progresses, many may develop inflammatory changes in joints, muscles, and tendons.
Fibromyalgia is also about hormonal changes, with many investigators proposing hypothalamic-pituitary axis (HPA) dysfunction. Investigators have found low cortisol levels in a 24-hour urine analysis, loss of circadian rhythm of cortisol, insulin-related hypoglycemia due to overproduction of a pituitary adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH).
Genetics may also play a role in how fibromyalgia develops, since it has been found, recently, that a familial history of the disease increases someone's risk.
