Fibromyalgia and neuropathy have similar symptoms and treatments, but are separate conditions. Neuropathy is a clearly identifiable disease of the central nervous system, while fibromyalgia is more difficult to diagnose and not considered a nerve problem. Both are chronic but manageable over time.
Fibromyalgia and neuropathy can cause common physical symptoms. Treatments for fibromyalgia and neuropathy also tend to overlap in some cases. Despite the similarities present in each, these conditions are entirely separate things.
Neuropathy is a condition of the central nervous system. There are many different types of neuropathy, as well as different causes for this disorder, often leading to debate about its definition in relation to other diseases and conditions. For example, people suffering from conditions such as diabetes, cancer and AIDS are also often afflicted with nervous disorders. Some of the symptoms of neuropathy include numbness in the extremities, pain and tingling.
Similarly, fibromyalgia is also a condition of the central nervous system. It has chronic pain symptoms similar to those of neuropathy, and a person with fibromyalgia may also experience nerve pain. They are shared symptoms, such as pain or tingling in the fingers and hands, which lead some to associate the diseases more closely.
Fibromyalgia and neuropathy are also both chronic pain conditions that share some of the same treatment options. An example of this is that both conditions are sometimes treated with a specific drug called pregabalin, which interacts with the central nervous system to reduce the painful symptoms associated with both conditions. Health experts also sometimes recommend low-impact exercise for pain management for both conditions.
There are no known cures for fibromyalgia and neuropathy. Both conditions are chronic although often manageable over time. Each case is unique, but many with symptoms of both conditions eventually find ways to manage the pain in their daily lives. Doctors who specialize in treating fibromyalgia, however, are also experienced in treating neuropathic conditions and vice versa.
A primary difference between fibromyalgia and neuropathy is that neuropathy is a clearly identifiable disease. Through testing, doctors find that the symptoms of neuropathy are measurable and can be traced to a distinct cause in the central nervous system. However, fibromyalgia is much more difficult to diagnose. It is not uncommon for a patient suffering from fibromyalgia to report symptoms that cannot be traced to a common cause. Despite the neuropathic symptoms that accompany it, fibromyalgia is not widely considered a disease of the central nervous system as it cannot be traced to or defined by a single nerve problem.
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