Episode 21: The Impact of Stress on Persons with Fibromyalgia
Let's face it! Life will throw you curve balls and those of us with fibromyalgia take it in
the face,
the arms,
the legs,
the torso...
damn near everywhere. Stress hurts!
This is a fact. Stress negatively impacts the way many people, especially those with fibromyalgia, experience pain. The author of a study published in 2021 by the National Institutes of Health stated, "Our study revealed that repeated ... stress increases pain intensity in FM patients." This is one of several studies that come to this same conclusion. But if I only took into account my own story, I would whole-heartedly believe this with or without the research to back it up.
However, this is what I wonder: does it matter what kind of stress a person is under in the moment? Does even the excited, anticipatory stress - the kind of stress created when you are discovering something new, learning something new, experiencing something new - trigger fibromyalgia? I mean, it is certainly the case that when I am under "teacher stress" my fibromyalgia is often triggered. But is it also true that the good stress or happy stress can also trigger a fibro-flare? That is what I am going to tackle in this post.
The Backstory:
Let me give you the backstory and some context. I have, in the last month, discovered who my birth-mother and birth-father are through Ancestry.com. I have made contact with both sides of the family with some success. Though my birth-mother wants nothing to do with me, my birth-father's family has provided me with quite a bit of insight. Unfortunately, my father has passed away, but the wealth of information I have received has at once filled me with exhilaration and at the same time caused a sense of overwhelm like I have never felt before. And although I have been elated and happy beyond any scope I could imagine, as I began to learn about my ancestry, I had one of the worst fibromyalgia flares I have ever had since my diagnosis. Although it is filling up my heart, I am taking it "in the the face, the arms, the legs, the torso... damn near everywhere".
Is this a THING?
Is this really a thing: I mean that even when good stuff happens, my brain reacts by sending the wrong signals and I experience pain at ever turn? Trying to find the literature that answers this question seems impossible so I am forced today to lean on what is already known about stress and apply it to "happy stress", or eustress. As an English teacher by day and a blogger by night, I think it is important to do a review and get some vocabulary out of the way:
Fibromyalgia: Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatments - A Review
Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain disorder characterized by widespread bodily pain sustained for over three months. Fibromyalgia is not a rheumatoid disease, but it can mimic rheumatoid symptoms. This disorder affects all four quadrants of the body and is often accompanied by fatigue and trouble sleeping, among other troublesome symptoms. Currently, there are no specific laboratory tests for fibromyalgia. A diagnosis of fibromyalgia is a diagnosis of elimination. It is all the things you don't have, plus your symptoms, duration of symptoms, a physical exam and your medical history. Treatment options are limited and often include antidepressants, anti-seizure medications, and analgesics. However, one of the most important ways to keep this disorder from progressing is to use movement as medicine: light aerobics exercise, low impact exercise, and stretching.
There are 2 Kinds of Stress: Distress and Eustress
When we think of stress often times we are actually talking about a feeling in our body and mind. This "stress" is actually distress: the body's reaction to changes in the environment that engages the autonomic nervous system that triggers the flight, fright, freeze or fawn response. This autonomic response engages the sympathetic nervous system which helps us quickly react during dangerous situations. It is meant to be a short term protective response to keep us ALIVE during threatening events.
In our day and age, in most of our communities, the stress we experience does not always have immediate life or death consequences. However, we are still exposed to a wide range stressful situations that could include: personal, family, school, work, housing, financial, and social stressors. In the case of long term stress, this response could trigger a number of symptoms including aches and pains, sleeplessness, digestive problems, and a weakening of the immune system.
Eustress:
This is the happy, happy, joy, joy kind of stress, or beneficial stress. Is there such a thing? There sure is! This kind of stress is energizing and motivating. It usually only lasts in the short term and increases our focus and performance. It helps us get things done.
Eustress is the feeling you get when you are excited. The feelings in this state may mimic anxiety with many of the same physical and emotional symptoms which may include: a rush or cortisol to the brain which jump starts the sympathetic nervous system, increased heart rate, sweaty palms, and a flood of intense, passionate emotions.
Eustress occurs when you are learning something new of interest to you, when you are happy with a personal or work challenge and you complete this challenge with success. It happens when you develop a new skill that you enjoy and can employ. It can happen within the process of learning and doing. But it includes some of the same bodily responses as distress including physical and emotional arousal.
Distress and Eustress with Fibromyalgia with Example:
For people with fibromyalgia, the stress response, either in distress or eustress, tends to trigger painful, sometimes debilitating flare-ups. In my case, I can say this is absolutely true. My adoptive family was chaotic and abusive, in other words, stressful. This has contributed to my life-long struggle with fibromyalgia as well as the flare-ups when I am distressed, and in most every instance of eustress. This includes today. Yesterday, I got great, albeit terrifying, news. I found out I am going to meet two of my nine siblings in the coming week: a biological sister and brother. The elation I feel is beyond the scope of what I understand or can explain in words. I was telling a friend that this is, "somewhat akin to going on stage for the first time but without the shakes or stutters". Basically, I am walking into the unknown where these people will either love me or hate me. Today, I woke up with pain from head to toe. My mind (not my head) is throbbing; my joints feel crunchy, like there is broken glass in my cartilage; my feet and ankles don't want to bend, and my knee caps hurt. And this is from EUSTRESS.
What is the Lesson in All of This?
For people living with this disorder, stress, whether it is distress or eustress can trigger the sympathetic nervous system and cause a fibromyalgia flare-up. This does not mean it is a guarantee that all happy stress will cause pain. But, in either case, it is important in times of "stress" to take are of yourself and participate in self-care practices that will calm the nervous system and help you avoid, or at least lessen, the symptoms from the flare.
Self - Care Practices to Minimize Flares:
Here are some tips to help manage fibromyalgia flares during times of "stress". Participating in activities like deep breathing exercises, gentle stretching, meditation, and mindfulness can play a crucial role in managing these flare-ups. This engages the parasympathetic nervous system and lets our bodies know we are safe and calm. Along with this, maintaining a balanced diet, drinking plenty of water, and getting good quality sleep are important parts of a holistic approach to managing fibromyalgia flare-ups. Addressing the impact of stress on our bodies and minds can help minimize the severity of fibromyalgia symptoms during times of stress.
RECAP:
Fibromyalgia flare-ups can be caused by stress. Stress negatively impacts the way many people, and especially people with fibromyalgia, experience pain. There are two kinds of stress, distress and eustress. Distress is caused by a perceived change in our environment that jump starts the autonomic nervous system meant to help us survive threats to our person. Eustress is "happy stress" caused by events that excite us and make us happy. Both can trigger the symptoms of fibromyalgia. In either case it is crucial to practice self - care techniques that will help avoid or lessen the impact of a fibro-flare.
If you enjoyed this post, share it with your friends and colleagues, and consider becoming a subscriber. If you have any tips or suggestions about how to better cope with chronic pain, leave a comment. I would love to hear from you!
Karen Palmen, EdD is a veteran educator in Saint Paul, Mn. She teaches Dance and English at Saint Paul Central High School. She has an active TikTok page that features humorous, political, mental health, and educational content (kickin it with karen). And a a dormant YOUTUBE channel with the same name, featuring fermented foods and other cooking oddities.
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