Fibromyalgia is a painful and often frustrating disorder, causing debilitating pain and interfering with one’s quality of life. While there are methods and treatments to ease the symptoms, currently, there is no cure for fibromyalgia. Traumatic events like car accidents may even cause or worsen fibromyalgia symptoms.
What Is Fibromyalgia?
As the Mayo Clinic explains, fibromyalgia is a pain disorder where the person with it experiences dull and widespread pain. They typically have pain on both sides of their body and experience other symptoms such as fatigue and difficulty concentrating. While scientists do not yet understand the connection, people with fibromyalgia commonly have other disorders such as migraines, anxiety, depression, irritable bowel syndrome, and temporomandibular joint disorder.
Fibromyalgia symptoms can develop over time or arise after a traumatic event. The Mayo Clinic reports that women are more likely than men to develop fibromyalgia.
What Are the Common Symptoms of Fibromyalgia?
The symptoms of fibromyalgia can vary from person to person. That said, the Centers for Disease and Prevention (CDC) lists the following as the most common symptoms:
- Body pain
- Body stiffness, especially in the joints
- Digestive problems
- Fatigue
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Sleep disturbances
- Concentration problems
- Headaches and migraines
Research reveals that fibromyalgia symptoms are more likely to appear when someone is middle-aged, as opposed to childhood or young adulthood. The CDC estimates that about 4 million people in the United States suffer from fibromyalgia symptoms.
What Causes Fibromyalgia?
Scientists are unclear about the exact cause of fibromyalgia. Studies have revealed risk factors and correlations that may shed light on this painful disorder. For example, the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases indicates that the following are potential risk factors:
- Fibromyalgia tends to run in families, leading scientists to believe that genetics plays a role in whether someone develops fibromyalgia.
- Environmental factors. Factors such as having certain pain disorders or experiencing a physically traumatic event may increase someone’s chances of having fibromyalgia later.
The medical field is devoting considerable research to understanding this challenging disorder. Hopefully, with time, they can identify a cause and a cure to provide clarity and relief to those with this condition.
How Do Doctors Treat Fibromyalgia?
As discussed, there is no cure for fibromyalgia, but there are treatments that can address the symptoms. For example, the person with the disorder may take over-the-counter or prescription pain medications, exercise, and participate in relaxation techniques. Further, they can try to avoid certain foods and triggers that cause them to experience flare-ups.
Can a Car Crash Make Fibromyalgia Symptoms Worse?
People with fibromyalgia have ongoing symptoms that ebb and flow, changing daily. Events such as car crashes can exacerbate the symptoms of fibromyalgia and cause flare-ups. Some scientists suspect that physical trauma, like that experienced in a car accident, can increase someone’s risk of developing fibromyalgia, but more research is needed.
The physical and psychological effects of being in a collision can trigger a debilitating flare-up. As Dr. Clauw explains in an article about fibromyalgia published by the Arthritis Foundation, everything from a motor vehicle accident to sleep disturbances can cause someone to experience worsening symptoms. The physical trauma of the accident and the resulting stress, such as physical discomfort and financial stress, can lead to a relapse in symptoms.
Can Someone Receive Compensation for Experiencing a Fibromyalgia Flare-Up After a Car Accident?
If someone experiences worsening fibromyalgia symptoms because of a car accident, they may have a personal injury claim against the at-fault driver. Their chances of recovering depend on the strength of their claim, the symptoms they are experiencing, and the applicable state law. They should also keep accurate records of their pain and how it impacts their post-accident life.
Additionally, the law of the state in which the accident occurred impacts whether someone receives compensation for their worsening fibromyalgia symptoms. For example, Georgia law allows crash victims to seek compensation for their injuries, but the court may reduce the amount of their award by the percentage of fault that it believes the injured party shares for the accident. Georgia law also imposes a two-year deadline to bring an action, and plaintiffs who file outside this timeframe may be unable to sue for their injuries.
Conclusion
Fibromyalgia is a painful and challenging condition to live with. Symptoms can worsen during stress and after traumatic physical events, like a car crash. While there is no cure for the disease, people with fibromyalgia can take medication and adopt techniques, such as exercise and relaxation efforts, to help cope with the symptoms they experience.
ES