This condition, not having any inflammatory cause, is considered to be a neurological problem, which manifests itself in the soft tissues of the body.
Dr. Yasmín Cancel Cruz, Clinical Psychologist, Program Coordinator of the Graduate School of Psychology. Photo: Journal of Medicine and Public Health. Carlos Lugo.
The fibromyalgia it is a disease that affects the whole body, so the pain is generalized, for which it is vital to keep in mind that it does not necessarily focus on the joints, but rather, on the contrary, it manifests itself in soft tissues.
Among the main mental consequences are depression and anxiety, because the Dr. Yasmin Cancel Cruz, Clinical psychologist, Coordinator of the Graduate School of Psychology ProgramPontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico and Member of the Association of Psychologists of Puerto Rico, explains that within the development of personality traits, it can be evidenced how anxiety is found in the daily life of the patient, which causes intensely anticipate events that are occurring, in the same way, this causes the person to not be able to express himself adequately about how he feels.
It is vitally important to have the individualized profile of each patient, which the specialist defines as follows: “it is a comprehensive analysis with a psychosocial perspective, because we have to understand that many times, these people who have symptoms are continuously bombarded with distracting effects. , causing confusion about where the pain is coming from.”
Regarding pain management, the expert explained, “the mental health specialist is going to collaborate so that the person can identify the levels of pain that they are feeling at those points, because it is important that as they talk about it, they can manifesting, you can also do some checks on what activities you can do when you feel the specific level of pain, likewise, you can also communicate with the people around you”.
However, Dr. Oscar Soto emphasized some key points of pain, among which are: the neck, near the elbows (soft tissue), below the ribs, near the hips and lastly, near the knees (surrounding tissues).
The importance of nutrition in fibromyalgia
Patients with this condition are recommended to follow an anti-inflammatory diet, “often it has as secondary symptoms, which is fatigue, extreme tiredness, which we also treat within the diet, incorporate foods that help with energy to improve the quality of life”, explained Ms. Wanda González, Nutritionist and Dietician.
Among the recommended foods are: whole grains, whole wheat bread and oatmeal. These foods provide 100% fiber, along with vitamins, nutrients and minerals that allow the patient to maintain energy for their daily activities.
Similarly, vitamin B12 plays a fundamental role, because it works in the central nervous system; this vitamin is found in certain proteins, such as: poultry, beef, eggs, dairy and nutritional yeast. However, Dr. Oscar Soto commented “it is not a type of supplement that can be ingested with a normal pill, because it dissolves with acid in the stomach, which is why it is usually used sublingually or injected.”
Additionally, a diet with magnesium is equally relevant, because it works between the nervous and muscular systems; This is found in fruits such as: bananas, avocado, pumpkin seeds, spinach, tofu, legumes and grains.
These foods play a valuable role in the body, since many of them produce folic acid, which is present in the processes of the central nervous system, as well as in energy production, and are anti-inflammatory.
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