We all know how important certain aspects in our life are, such as nutrition, exercise and being properly hydrated. Sometimes we overlook a very important component to our over all well being, which is sleep! Not getting into deeper levels of sleep leads to being sleep deprived, which can decrease our physical performance. Being sleep deprived can also worsen conditions such as fibromyalgia, back pain and neck pain. Please review the following article which give us the details about how important sleep is.

Lasting pain after a car accident can be debilitating, as an automobile accident lawyer Washington D.C. recommends can tell you. Though the legal process can be frightening, hiring a lawyer you trust can make things easier. The same can be said about getting treatment for your injuries after an accident.

So can a car accident cause Fibromyalgia? What exactly is it?

Those who suffer from it may experience musculoskeletal pain over a large portion of their bodies. It can influence how pain signals in the brain are processed, making painful sensations seem even worse. It can be a deep, throbbing, sharp or dull pain.

You can feel it in your tendons, muscles and ligaments around the joints. Unfortunately, the condition doesn’t have a cure.

Symptoms often start after the body experiences a trauma, with current thinking focusing on head or neck trauma — which can happen because of a car accident. Also, if post traumatic stress disorder also develops, it increases the risk of developing fibromyalgia.

Since there isn’t a cure, treatment is more about managing the symptoms.

How do I know I have it?

Some of the symptoms of Fibromyalgia include:

  • Pain in your lower abdomen
  • Pain that is more widespread and can may be best described as a dull ache
  • Headaches
  • Cognitive issues that feel like a brain fog
  • Depression or anxiety
  • Extreme fatigue, if you find yourself sleeping for long periods of time
  • Sleep issues
  • Problems with peeing
  • Numbness (or tingling) in the arms, hands, feet and legs
  • Irritable bowel syndrome

How is it diagnosed?

Diagnosing fibromyalgia isn’t easy. In the past, a tender point exam was used to test 18 points on the body for pain. Now guidelines have been updated to consider a diagnosis after at least three months of medically unexplained pain over a widespread area of the body.

Since there is no real test — and no labs or imaging — in order to diagnose fibromyalgia, it can sometimes go misdiagnosed due to the fact that the main symptoms — widespread joint pain and fatigue — can be somewhat vague.

Treatment can vary, with anti-depressants sometimes being prescribed to help the patient combat fatigue as well as pain relievers to help ease the joint discomfort. It mostly focuses on minimizing the symptoms.

They have also found that anti-seizure medication can lessen some of the pain associated with the chronic condition.

Patients also turn to counseling to learn ways of better coping with the symptoms and deal with the stress and frustrations that come with having the condition.

Sometimes symptoms do not show up immediately after a car accident, so victims should refrain from settling any suits until they know the full extent of their injuries.

If you learn you have developed this after a car accident, you should make sure you have a personal injury lawyer to fight for your interests and hold the other party accountable for your health-related bills. A lifetime of medical care can certainly add up and be overwhelming.

Not only that, because of what the condition does to your energy level, you will more than likely not be able to keep your current job and will suffer a loss in pay.

Thanks to our friends and contributors from Cohen & Cohen, P.C., for their insight into the repercussions of car accidents.