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MORNING STIFFNESSA Rude Awakening
Morning stiffness is by far one of the most documented early symptoms of fibromyalgia. Some of the main problem areas are the neck, shoulders, and the upper and lower back muscles. For many, it can become so pronounced, that even turning ones head or bending over can lead to painfull muscle aches and spasms. Lifting objects or sudden swift movements can also cause stiffness to return and leave you prone to sore and spastic muscles. This stiffness is felt in the web like connective tissue called myofascia. The myofascia surrounds all of your body's muscles and joints which helps enable flexibility and protect against injury. Usually this tissue becomes stiff and loses its pliability after a traumatic event such as a car accident or fall, but if you have fibromyalgia you may start to experience these symptoms even without an immediate cause. 
I would spend hours upon hours stretching and massaging these areas, only to have it aggravated again just by doing simple tasks like taking out the garbage or lifting a box at work. These episodes of stiff neck pain and relentless upper and lower back muscle pain became so common, that my muscles would eventually become sore and swollen. There were numerous occasions where my neck muscles were so fatigued, that it felt like I was having difficulty holding my head upright. I would have to lie down whenever I had the chance just to give these muscles a rest. A severe muscle strain or slipped disc was one of the first things I suspected, but once blood tests and x-rays came out negative, I knew something strange was going on. Muscle relaxers and anti-inflammatory medications would help relieve some of the back and neck muscle pain, but these were only temporary fixes. This was the beginning of a long and frustrating journey. This symptom can be caused by many things, but if you begin experiencing morning stiffness along with irritability and fatigue without any obvious reason as to why, you should discuss this with your doctor immediately. Also having these symptoms documented early on can help develop an accurate diagnosis once all other immediate causes are eliminated. There are many treatment options being used today that help tackle these symptoms and can help you get on the road to recovery. They can help you save countless hours of research and frustration. For me, a three prong solution consisting of mostly guaifenesin, a little exercise, and a effective diet
program have completely reversed my morning stiffness, sore joints and chronic fatigue. I highly recommend you investigate further into these particular treatment options. They've completely changed my life forever.
Return from morning stiffness to symptoms-of-fibromyalgia
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