Fibromyalgia affects men too – they just don’t know it

Fibromyalgia has been considered a “women’s disease” for years. Indeed, about 85-90 percent of those diagnosed are women, but that does not mean that men do not suffer from it. It is estimated that about 10 percent of those diagnosed are men, but in practice the number may be higher, and many simply do not get diagnosed.

The reason for this is not only medical, but also social. Many men grow up with the concept that one should be strong, not complain and not talk about pain, especially one that has no clear explanation. As a result, even when they experience chronic pain, fatigue or a decrease in function, they tend to postpone seeking treatment, and even when they do go to the doctor, often the diagnosis will be different: chronic fatigue, depression or post-trauma, and not necessarily fibromyalgia. In addition to this, men have fewer “classic” fibromyalgia symptoms and they sometimes look different and can delay the diagnosis: local pain and more stiffness, more despondency and irritability.

Ilan (pseudonym), 38 years old, a reserve officer, who is dealing with fibromyalgia did not understand what suddenly happened to his body: “I would wake up in the morning more tired than when I went to bed, as if someone turned off my system from the inside. Then the pains started. Not something sharp or an obvious injury, but strange pains that wander: sometimes in the neck, sometimes in the back, sometimes in the hands. I felt that my body was moving, but something inside was stuck. At first I ignored it. I’m an officer, used to functioning, pushing forward. But after a complex event in the reserves it got worse and became part of my everyday life. I went to the doctors and they told me it was anxiety or chronic fatigue syndrome.”

“Fibromyalgia is defined as an idiopathic condition, that is, the diagnosis is based on symptoms – widespread pain, fatigue, sleep problems – and not on an unequivocal laboratory test, but in recent years the medical understanding of the disease has also changed, explains David Pankhasov, a specialist in Chinese medicine, internal medicine and an orthopedic specialist at Maccabi Natural, “Today it is clearer that the pain does not ‘sit’ only in the muscles or joints, but is related to the way the nervous system works Pain laboratory”. This means that the nervous system increases the pain signals, so that even a light touch, even a caress, may hurt, and sometimes persistent pain appears even without inflammation or physical damage that can be seen in tests.

 

“It started shortly after October 7. I felt that my body was simply changing. Pains began to appear in different places, pains that I did not know before, along with fatigue that would not go away. I was exhausted all the time, without understanding why. I did not know what was happening to me.”

Danny, 63

Along with this, according to him, there is also a stimulating component such as continuous stress, trauma, infection or physical injury and a genetic component. It is a neurochemical imbalance in the nervous system (for example: serotonin, dopamine) and the result is high sensitivity and increased pain signals. In continuous stressful situations, such as periods of uncertainty or security stress, the pain tends to increase, the attacks become more frequent and the fatigue worsens.

Danny (pseudonym), 63 years old, is an active person who led a full and independent routine. About two years ago he found himself dealing with a sharp change in his body and function, which eventually led to a diagnosis of fibromyalgia. “It started shortly after October 7. I felt that my body was simply changing. Pains began to appear in different places, pains I didn’t know before, along with fatigue that wouldn’t go away. I was exhausted all the time, without understanding why. I didn’t know what was happening to me,” he says, “I went to the doctor, and he started asking questions: where does it hurt, when, how does it feel? After a period of tests and trying to understand the picture, I received the diagnosis of fibromyalgia. It took about six months, but it felt much more immediate. I realized that there is no magic solution. It’s a new reality that I have to learn to live with. On the one hand, I try to stay in motion, do not sit too much, but in my case, I stopped. I realized how important it is to be active.”

Danny also says that about a year ago he also started acupuncture treatments, and when he persists in them he feels relief. “Unfortunately, when I’m less careful, I immediately feel the difference,” he says, “There are more difficult days, when the pain is strong and I feel limited, but I understand that I need to learn to manage it. As the doctor told me, it’s a condition you live with for a long time. It’s not an easy deal, but I’m slowly learning how not to let it manage me.”

“There were days when I couldn’t hold a glass without pain, days when the children asked me to play with them, and I just wanted to lie down quietly,” adds Ilan, “the hardest part was the feeling that they didn’t really believe me, because all the tests came out normal. It was only after almost two years that I came to Chinese medicine treatment, and there for the first time someone put all the pieces together. Suddenly I realized that I wasn’t imagining it, that the pain was real, that the fatigue was real. That my body isn’t betraying me, it’s just stuck in survival mode. From there I started treatment: acupuncture, changing diet, working on breathing, and slowly the body started to respond.”

 

“There were days when I couldn’t hold a glass without pain, days when the children asked me to play with them, and I just wanted to lie still. The hardest was the feeling that they didn’t really believe me, because all the tests came out normal”

Ilan, 38

“It is important to say honestly that fibromyalgia is a chronic syndrome and does not have a complete cure,” Pankhasov admits, “The goal is to manage the pain as much as possible – to reduce its intensity, reduce the frequency of attacks and improve the quality of life. This is where the integrative approach comes into play, which combines conventional medicine with complementary medicine. In Chinese medicine, the diagnosis is made through in-depth questioning and a broad look at the body and mind – pulse diagnosis and tongue and other factors, with the aim of understanding the root of the problem and restoring balance to the system, and especially to the nervous system, treatments such as acupuncture, deep touch and herbs can help reduce pain and calm the body.”

Next to the treatments, one of the most important tools is actually movement. Not just easy walks, but adapted physical activity that really activates the body such as strength training and aerobics. Patients who persevere in such activity often manage to regulate the pain better, and there are also cases of athletes who deal with fibromyalgia and manage to maintain balance thanks to training.

First of all, Pankhasov says, don’t stress. “Stress worsens the pain and intensifies the sensation. It is recommended to use deep touch and not just gentle caressing, for example spot massage or pressing on painful areas. Heating the area with a heating pad or a hot shower can help to calm the body, and deep and slow breathing also helps to lower the level of alertness of the nervous system. Despite the temptation to remain motionless, it is better to incorporate movement as much as possible, and not to avoid activity. Over time, each patient learns what makes it easier for them, and this is an inevitable part separated from dealing with the disease.”

Fibromyalgia is not only a “women’s disease”, and not only physical pain. It is a complex syndrome that combines body and mind, and requires a broad approach. The recognition that men also deal with it, sometimes silently, is an important step on the way to more correct treatment, and real relief for those who live with this pain every day.