Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia causes widespread chronic pain, fatigue, and cognitive difficulties that can significantly impact daily life. Silver Pain Centre offers specialized, OHIP-covered multidisciplinary treatments to help manage fibromyalgia symptoms and improve your quality of life.
What Is Fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances, and cognitive difficulties often referred to as fibro fog. It affects an estimated 2 to 4 percent of the population and is more common in women. Unlike conditions with visible tissue damage, fibromyalgia involves changes in how the central nervous system processes pain signals, resulting in amplified pain perception throughout the body. Patients with fibromyalgia often experience tenderness in multiple areas, morning stiffness, headaches, irritable bowel symptoms, and sensitivity to temperature, noise, and light. While fibromyalgia is not degenerative and does not damage joints or organs, it can significantly impair quality of life and daily functioning without appropriate management.
Widespread aching, burning, or throbbing pain affecting muscles and soft tissues throughout the body
Persistent fatigue and unrefreshing sleep despite adequate rest, often accompanied by sleep disorders
Cognitive difficulties including problems with concentration, memory, and mental clarity (fibro fog)
Heightened sensitivity to touch, temperature, noise, and light, along with headaches and digestive symptoms
What Causes Fibromyalgia?
The exact cause of fibromyalgia is not fully understood, but research points to several contributing factors that alter how the brain and nervous system process pain:
- Central sensitization: Abnormal amplification of pain signals in the brain and spinal cord, lowering the threshold for pain perception
- Genetic predisposition: Family history of fibromyalgia or related conditions suggests a hereditary component to the disorder
- Physical trauma or illness: Injuries, infections, or surgeries that may trigger or worsen fibromyalgia symptoms
- Psychological stress: Chronic stress, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress that contributes to nervous system dysregulation
- Sleep disturbances: Disrupted sleep patterns that prevent restorative sleep and exacerbate pain sensitivity
- Hormonal imbalances: Abnormalities in serotonin, dopamine, and other neurotransmitters that regulate pain and mood
- Autoimmune factors: Emerging research suggesting possible immune system involvement in fibromyalgia development
Treatment Options for Fibromyalgia
Silver Pain Centre provides specialized, evidence-based treatments for fibromyalgia. Our approach focuses on calming the overactive central nervous system and addressing the multiple symptoms that affect daily life.
Medication management: Carefully optimized combinations of medications targeting central pain processing, including medications that modulate serotonin, norepinephrine, and GABA pathways
Trigger point injections: Treatment of painful muscle knots and tender points throughout the body to reduce localized pain and break the cycle of muscle tension
Low-dose naltrexone therapy: Emerging treatment that may reduce neuroinflammation and modulate the immune system to decrease widespread pain sensitivity
Nerve block procedures: Targeted injections for specific pain generators that contribute to the overall fibromyalgia pain burden
Neuromodulation approaches: Advanced therapies to modulate central pain processing and reduce the amplification of pain signals in the nervous system
Sleep optimization strategies: Medical management of sleep disorders that contribute to fibromyalgia pain amplification and fatigue
Multidisciplinary coordination: Collaborative care integrating pain management with physiotherapy, psychological support, and lifestyle modifications for comprehensive symptom control
When to Seek Help for Fibromyalgia
You should consult a pain specialist if you experience widespread pain lasting more than three months that affects multiple areas of your body, persistent fatigue and unrefreshing sleep that do not improve with lifestyle changes, cognitive difficulties that interfere with work or daily responsibilities, pain that has not responded to over-the-counter medications or initial treatments from your family doctor, or symptoms that are progressively limiting your activities and quality of life. A pain specialist experienced in fibromyalgia can develop a comprehensive management plan tailored to your specific symptom profile.
At Silver Pain Centre, we provide comprehensive, OHIP-covered consultations designed to help you find lasting relief. Here’s how we make a difference:
Collaborative Care
Fast Access
Advanced Diagnostics
Our North York facility uses imaging such as MRI, ultrasound, and fluoroscopy to pinpoint the exact source of your pain.
Non-Surgical Options
From nerve blocks to radiofrequency ablation, we provide targeted treatments to relieve pain and restore mobility.
Interventional pain procedures performed to date
Years of specialized pain management experience
%
Patient-reported satisfaction based on post-visit surveys
Image-guided injections performed monthly
Explore Our Full Range of Pain Management Solutions
Learn about our pain management treatments and explore the options available at Silver Pain Centre.
Book a Consultation for Fibromyalgia
If you are living with widespread pain, fatigue, and cognitive difficulties from fibromyalgia, our specialists can help. Silver Pain Centre offers advanced, OHIP-covered treatments designed to address the central nervous system changes driving your symptoms.