Fibromyalgia Center - Franconia, VA
Franconia Rheumatologist Doctors for FibromyalgiaType of Physician: Rheumatologist What is a Rheumatologist? A subspecialty certification by the Board of Internal Medicine; practitioners treat diseases of the joints, muscles, bones, and tendons. The rheumatologist diagnoses and treats arthritis, back pain, muscle strains, common athletic injuries, etc. The rheumatologist may work closely with other specialists such as orthopaedic surgeons and physical therapists. Specialty: Rheumatology Common Name: Rheumatologist Doctors in Franconia * Nicholson & Schwartz MDs  Nicholson & Schwartz MDs  Alben G Goldstein MD  Arthritis Center of Northern VA  Arthritis Center of Northern VA  General Internal Medicine Group  Paul Rochmis MD  Arthritis & Rheumatic Disease Associates PC  Nita Sumida MD PLLC  Bone Health Diagnostic  Arthritis Care Center PC  Margaret Gradzka MD  Drs Nguyen Saba Gospodinoff & Chou  Reston Rheumatology & Arthritis Center  Drs Nguyen Saba Gospodinoff & Chou  Drs Nguyen Saba Gospodinoff & Chou  Drs Nguyen Saba Gospodinoff & Chou  Matthew O Swartz MD  Jennifer Odutola MD  Norman Levin MD  Arthritis & Pain Center  Stewart E Kohler MD  Arthritis & Pain Center  Arthritis Specialists of Winchester PC  Gregory A Kujala MD  Arthritis Specialists Ltd  Chesapeake Medical Group Family Practice  VA Physicians Inc Rheumatology  VA Physicians Inc Rheumatology  VA Physicians Inc Rheumatology  Premier Health Care Associates  Premier Health Care Associates  Arthritis Specialists Ltd  Titus Hendrix Turner Pahle & Christensen MDs  Medical College of Virginia  Bernard Wittkamp MD  Arthritis Specialists Ltd  Arthritis Specialists Ltd  Arthritis Specialists Ltd Franconia, VirginiaUpcoming Local Events2012-06-02
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FibromyalgiaRead the Fibromyalgia article » What is fibromyalgia?Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that causes pain, stiffness, and tenderness of the muscles, tendons, and joints. Fibromyalgia is also characterized by restless sleep, awakening feeling tired, chronic fatigue, anxiety, depression, and disturbances in bowel function. Fibromyalgia is sometimes referred to as fibromyalgia syndrome and abbreviated FMS. Fibromyalgia was formerly known as fibrositis. While fibromyalgia is one of the most common diseases affecting the muscles, its cause is currently unknown. The painful tissues involved are not accompanied by tissue inflammation. Therefore, despite potentially disabling body pain, patients with fibromyalgia do not develop body damage or deformity. Fibromyalgia also does not cause damage to internal body organs. In this sense, fibromyalgia is different from many other rheumatic conditions (such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus, and polymyositis). In those diseases, tissue inflammation is the major cause of pain, stiffness, and tenderness of the joints, tendons and muscles, and it can lead to joint deformity and damage to the internal organs or muscles.
What causes fibromyalgia?The cause of fibromyalgia is not known. Those affected experience pain in response to stimuli that are normally not perceived as painful. Researchers have found elevated levels of a nerve chemical signal, called substance P, and nerve growth factor in the spinal fluid of fibromyalgia patients. Levels of the brain chemical serotonin are also relatively low in patients with fibromyalgia. Studies of pain in fibromyalgia have suggested that the central nervous system (brain) may be somehow supersensitive. Scientists note that there seems to be a diffuse disturbance of pain perception in patients with fibromyalgia. Also, patients with fibromyalgia have an impaired non-rapid eye movement, or non-... Recommended Reading Related to FibromyalgiaWhat is the complete blood count test (CBC)?The complete blood count (CBC) is one of the most commonly ordered blood tests. The complete blood count is the calculation of the cellular (formed elements) of blood. These calculations are generally determined by special machines that analyze the different components of blood in less than a minute. A major portion of the complete blood count is the measure of the concentration of white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets in the blood.
How is the complete blood count test (CBC) done?The complete blood count (CBC) test is performed by obtaining a few milliliters (one to two teaspoons) of blood sample directly form the patient. It can be done in many settings including the doctor's office, laboratories, and hospitals. The skin is wiped clean with an alcohol pad, and then a needle is inserted through the area of cleansed skin into to patient's vein (one... Other Related Fibromyalgia ArticlesEmergency Contact for Franconia
Nearby Franconia Hospitals *Inova Alexandria Hospital Inova Mount Vernon Hospital Dominion Hospital Inova Fairfax Hospital Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children Northern Virginia Mental Health Institute Virginia Hospital Center The Specialty Hospital of Washington-Hadley Fort Washington Hospital Saint Elizabeth's Hospital The George Washington University Hospital Georgetown University Hospital Sibley Memorial Hospital The Specialty Hospital of Washington Howard University Hospital Psychiatric Institute of Washington Children's National Medical Center Potomac Hospital National Rehabilitation Hospital Washington Hospital Center Washington DC VA Medical Center United Medical Center Providence Hospital The HSC Pediatric Center Inova Fair Oaks Hospital Southern Maryland Hospital Center Walter Reed Army Medical Center National Institutes of Health Gladys Spellman Specialty Hospital Prince George's Hospital Center Washington Adventist Hospital Suburban Hospital Reston Hospital Center Holy Cross Hospital Prince William Hospital Civista Medical Center Doctors Community Hospital Shady Grove Adventist Hospital Adventist Rehabilitation Hospital of Maryland  Potomac Ridge Behavioral Health Adventist HealthCare  Laurel Regional Hospital  Montgomery General Hospital  Inova Loudoun Hospital Center  Graydon Manor Behavioral Health  Howard County General Hospital  North Spring Behavioral Healthcare  Calvert Memorial Hospital Featured Articles*Provider Directory Terms of Use: The WebMD 'Provider Directory' is provided by WebMD for use by the general public as a quick reference of information about Providers. The Provider Directory is not intended as a tool for verifying the credentials, qualifications, or abilities of any Provider contained therein. Inclusion in the Provider Directory does not imply recommendation or endorsement nor does omission in the Provider Directory imply WebMD disapproval. |
Suggested Reading on Fibromyalgia by Our Doctors
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Abdominal Pain
- Abdominal pain is pain in the belly and can be acute or chronic. Causes include inflammation, distention of an organ, and loss of the blood supply to an organ. Abdominal pain can reflect a major problem with one of the organs in the abdomen such as the appendix, gallbladder, large and small intestine, pancreas, liver, colon, duodenum, and spleen.
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Anxiety
- Anxiety is a feeling of apprehension and fear characterized by physical symptoms. Anxiety disorders are serious medical illnesses that affect approximately 19 million American adults.
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Headache
- Headaches can be divided into two categories: primary headaches and secondary headaches. Migraine headaches, tension headaches, and cluster headaches are considered primary headaches. Secondary headaches are caused by disease. Headache symptoms vary with the headache type. Over-the-counter pain relievers provide short-term relief for most headaches.
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Migraine
- Migraine is usually periodic attacks of headaches on one or both sides of the head. These may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, increased sensitivity of the eyes to light (photophobia), increased sensitivity to sound (phonophobia), dizziness, blurred vision, cognitive disturbances, and other symptoms. Treatments for migraine headache include therapies that may or may not involve medications.
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Stress
- Stress occurs when forces from the outside world impinge on the individual. Stress is a normal part of life. However, over-stress, can be harmful. There is now speculation, as well as some evidence, that points to the abnormal stress responses as being involved in causing various diseases or conditions.
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Depression
- Depression is an illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts and affects the way a person eats and sleeps, the way one feels about oneself, and the way one thinks about things. The principal types of depression are major depression, dysthymia, and bipolar disease (also called manic-depressive disease).
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Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
- IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) is a common gastrointestinal disorder involving abnormal gut contractions (motility) characterized by abdominal pain, bloating, mucous in stools, and irregular bowel habits with alternating diarrhea and constipation, symptoms that tend to be chronic and to wax and wane over the years. Treatment options include medication and lifestyle changes such as diet, exercise, and stress management to control symptoms. Also called spastic colitis, mucus colitis, nervous colon syndrome.
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Neck Pain
- Neck pain (cervical pain) may be caused by any number of disorders and diseases. Tenderness is another symptom of neck pain. Though treatment for neck pain really depends upon the cause, treatment typically may involve heat/ice application, traction, physical therapy, cortisone injection, topical anesthetic creams, and muscle relaxants.
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Chest Pain
- Chest pain is a common complaint by a patient in the ER. Causes of chest pain include broken or bruised ribs, pleurisy, pneumothorax, shingles, pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, angina, heart attack, costochondritis, pericarditis, aorta or aortic dissection, and reflux esophagitis. Diagnosis and treatment of chest pain depends upon the cause and clinical presentation of the patient's chest pain.
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Pain Management
- Pain management and treatment can be simple or complex, according to its cause. There are two basic types of pain, nociceptive pain and neuropathic pain. Some causes of neuropathic pain includes: complex regional pain syndrome, interstitial cystitis, and irritable bowel syndrome. There are a variety of methods to treat chronic pain, which are dependant on the type of pain experienced.
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Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
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Muscle Pain (Myofascial Pain Syndrome)
- Myofascial pain syndrome is muscle pain in the body's soft tissues due to injury or strain. Symptoms include muscle pain with tender points and fatigue. Treatment usually involves physical therapy, massage therapy, or trigger point injection.
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Chronic Pain
- Chronic pain is pain (an unpleasant sense of discomfort) that persists or progresses over a long period of time. In contrast to acute pain that arises suddenly in response to a specific injury and is usually treatable, chronic pain persists over time and is often resistant to medical treatments.
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Fatigue
- Fatigue can be described in various ways. Sometimes fatigue is described as feeling a lack of energy and motivation (both mental and physical). The causes of fatigue are generally related to a variety of conditions or diseases for example, anemia, mono, medications, sleep problems, cancer, anxiety, heart disease, drug abuse, and more. Treatment of fatigue is generally directed toward the condition or disease that is causing the fatigue.
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Insomnia
- Insomnia is the perception or complaint of inadequate or poor-quality sleep because of difficulty falling asleep; waking up frequently during the night with difficulty returning to sleep; waking up too early in the morning; or unrefreshing sleep. Secondary insomnia is the most common type of insomnia. Treatment for insomnia include lifestyle changes, cognitive behavioral therapy, and medication.
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Sleep
- A number of vital tasks carried out during sleep help maintain good health and enable people to function at their best. Sleep needs vary from individual to individual and change throughout your life. Not getting enough sleep can hurt memory performance, health, and your mood.
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Stress Management Techniques
- Stress may be considered as any physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental unrest and that may be a factor in disease causation. An important goal for those under stress is the management of stress in our lives. Elimination of stress is unrealistic, since stress is a part of normal life. We can however, learn to manage stress through techniques such as exercise, relaxation, meditation, time management, and support systems so that we have control over our stress and its effects on our physical and mental health.
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Fitness
- Regular physical activity can reduce the risk of disease. Regular exercise can also reduce the symptoms of stress and anxiety. There are fitness programs that fit any age or lifestyle.
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Mental Health
- Mental health is an optimal way of thinking, relating to others, and feeling. All of the diagnosable mental disorders fall under the umbrella of mental illness. Depression, anxiety, and substance-abuse disorders are common types of mental illness. Symptoms and signs of mental illness include irritability, moodiness, insomnia, headaches, and sadness. Treatment may involve psychotherapy and medication.
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Pain Management: Musculoskeletal Pain
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Abdominal Pain
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Medications
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Procedures & Tests
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Pictures, Images & Quizzes
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