Fibromyalgia

More than 10 million Americans have fibromyalgia, a potentially debilitating chronic pain condition. As a pain management expert, double board-certified and fellowship-trained physician, Dr. Jackie Weisbein, diagnoses fibromyalgia and offers personalized treatment plans at her private practice in Napa, California. 

What is fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is a relatively common chronic pain disorder. While the condition is more common in women, men can also develop this potentially debilitating disease. It causes widespread pain throughout your body as well as tenderness to even the lightest touch. You may have other symptoms, such as:

  • Fatigue

  • Insomnia or oversleeping

  • Headaches

  • Depression and anxiety

  • Poor concentration

  • Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain

You may also experience irritable bowel symptoms, interstitial cystitis, or undefined pelvic pain.

What causes fibromyalgia?

Medical researchers and physicians are still researching the cause of fibromyalgia. Currently, they believe the condition stems from a chemical imbalance in your brain that triggers neurological dysfunction.

Research indicates that your genetics contribute to your risk of developing fibromyalgia. it can also follow infections, physical or emotional trauma, or a period of intense stress.

How is fibromyalgia diagnosed?

Fibromyalgia used to be diagnosed if you had pain in at least 11 of 18 trigger points on your body. Today, physicians are moving away from this method of diagnosis, although there isn't a specific test to identify it.

Instead, if you’ve had pain for three months or more that doesn’t have an apparent origin, Dr. Weisbein runs a variety of tests to rule out other conditions before determining a diagnosis. For example, she orders complete blood counts and checks your thyroid function and rheumatoid counts. She may also use nerve function tests or imaging studies such as MRIs or X-rays.

What are treatment options?

Dr. Weisbein knows that fibromyalgia symptoms fluctuate and that a treatment that works for specific symptoms may not help with others. She offers customized, multimodal treatment plans designed to address your particular needs. Some of the treatments that may be included in your treatment plan include:

  • Pain-relieving medicine

  • Antidepressants

  • Anti-seizure medication

  • Physical therapy

  • Regular physical activity

  • Massage

  • Dietary changes

Dr. Weisbein may also recommend nerve blocks or pain-relieving injections to address particular symptoms. She may also suggest ways to improve your sleep or refer you for counseling to address any related mental health issues.

If you’ve had pain, tenderness, or other fibromyalgia symptoms for three months or more, schedule an appointment with Dr. Weisbein. To schedule a new patient appointment, please call (707) 254-7117 or submit an Online Appointment Request here: New Patient Intake Form. If you are an existing patient, please call (707) 603-1078.