My whole body hurts, without reason, constantly| Incheon Fibromyalgia

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Whole body hurts continuously for no reason

It feels as if my whole body has been beaten—aching, hurting, and stiff. It is not just one spot; muscles and joints all over the body scream in rotation. However, no cause appears on X-rays, MRIs, or blood tests.

“The hardest part is the gaze of people wondering if I am faking it. I am truly in pain, but the tests show I am normal. Even after waking up from sleep, I don't feel refreshed at all, and it feels like my body is not my own.”

What is Fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is not simple muscle pain. It is a lonely and invisible war where one must fight against the lack of understanding from others amidst unexplained systemic pain, extreme fatigue, and sleep disorders.

The brain's 'pain volume' has become too sensitive

The pain of fibromyalgia is not a problem with the muscles or joints themselves. It is a malfunction of the brain and nervous system that regulate pain. In our brain, there is a ‘volume dial’ that controls pain signals.

In normal cases, the brain ignores minor pain signals or recognizes them by lowering the volume. However, in fibromyalgia, this volume dial is broken, amplifying even the smallest pain signals to ‘maximum volume.’ This is called ‘central sensitization.’

When the 'waterways' laid throughout the body are blocked

In Korean medicine, our body is viewed as land where numerous ‘waterways (meridians)’ through which Qi and Blood flow are laid. Fibromyalgia is seen as a state where these waterways are blocked in various places by ‘sticky waste (Dam-eum)’ and ‘stagnant blood clots (Eo-hyeol)’, causing the flow to stagnate and nutrient supply to be improperly delivered.

Because the waterways are blocked, the land (muscles) of the whole body starves, and aching pain occurs. It is like a rice paddy where water cannot flow properly, causing various parts to rot and fall ill. These waste products and blood clots accumulate more easily due to a congenitally weak constitution, along with excessive stress and the decline of energy after childbirth or major surgery.

3 ways for a healthy coexistence with pain

Rather than fighting to eliminate the pain, wise wisdom is needed to manage the pain and live with it.

Method 1: Gentle Movement

If you do not move for fear of pain, muscles become stiffer and weaker. It is important to maintain body function by practicing exercises that put less strain on joints, such as swimming, water aerobics, or light walking, very gradually and consistently.

Method 2: Sleep Hygiene

Pain interferes with sleep, and lack of sleep worsens pain. You must focus on improving the quality of sleep by going to bed at the same time every day, keeping the bedroom dark and quiet, and staying away from smartphones before sleeping.

Method 3: Energy Pacing

You must never overdo it even on days when your condition is good. The ‘pacing’ strategy, which involves identifying your amount of energy and planning activities within that limit, is the most important technique to prevent a sudden worsening of pain.

Before 'pain' dominates your entire life

Unexplained pain and fatigue lock our lives in an invisible prison. The fear of ‘what if it hurts?’ begins to block new attempts and social activities.

Leaving this state unattended is a path toward a deep swamp of despair called ‘pain-reduced activity-worsened pain,’ where the fear of pain reduces the use of muscles, which in turn leads to a decrease in physical strength and worsening pain.

My world narrows down to the bed and sofa. However, understanding now that this is a malfunction of the nervous system and actively seeking my own way to manage the pain is a courageous choice. It goes beyond simply reducing pain to escaping the dominance of pain and reclaiming the initiative of the life I want.