Fibromyalgia Specialist

What is fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is a neurological disorder characterized by musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, sleep, and memory problems. It affects women more frequently than men and is found in as many as 2-8% of all people.

Symptoms may emerge following a significant physical or psychological stress, surgery, or infection, though there may not be a single trigger event. Fibromyalgia symptoms include:

• Constant, dull pain spread throughout your entire body for at least three months
• Fatigue, even after ample sleep
• Sleep difficulty and disorders
• Cognitive difficulties, commonly called the “fibro fog”

Along with these symptoms, fibromyalgia is associated with other chronic disorders, like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, and migraines.

How is fibromyalgia diagnosed?

Fibromyalgia may go undiagnosed in three of every four people with the disorder. Historically, your physician would perform a physical exam to check your pain response to pressure on 18 specific points of your body, called a tender point exam.

Today, Dr. Cohen may diagnose fibromyalgia if you’ve suffered widespread pain for three months or longer, without alternative explanations. While there’s no definitive diagnostic test, he often recommends additional blood tests to rule out other conditions with similar symptoms.

Dr. Cohen and the team at Chicago Neurological Services are committed to making an accurate diagnosis, ensuring your understand that diagnosis, and devising a treatment plan to help you feel your best.

How is fibromyalgia treated?

Dr. Cohen considers a comprehensive approach to help manage your fibromyalgia pain and symptoms while improving your overall health. Dr. Cohen may prescribe medications, including:

• Pain relievers like narcotics or over-the-counter medications
• Antidepressants like duloxetine to ease pain and fatigue
• Muscle relaxants to help you sleep
• Anti-seizure drugs like pregabalin, the first FDA-approved fibromyalgia drug

He may also suggest counseling, physical therapy, or occupational therapy. Chicago Neurological Services also has facilities for hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) at the Lakeshore Hyperbaric Center, and offers intravenous therapy on-site for an alternative approach to controlling your condition. Dr. Cohen also offers coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) injections for mitochondrial dysfunction and fatigue associated with fibromyalgia.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a noninvasive and nonpainful procedure that saturates your body with high-pressurized levels of oxygen and offers unique benefits. Intravenous therapy for fibromyalgia includes chemical detoxification and chelation therapy.

If you suffer from long-lasting fibromyalgia pain, schedule an appointment with Dr. Cohen at Chicago Neurological Services online or by phone today.