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What Causes Fibromyalgia Post Whiplash Injury?
Question: 3years ago had severe whiplash from car going into back of me at high speed my neck is still swollen and have a lump there &since developed fibromalgia can this be connected
Brief Answer:
Technically, no.
Detailed Answer:
By definition in Fibromyalgia nothing is wrong. In what you describe, something IS wrong, therefore, it is not fibromyalgia.
In real injuries, like what you describe, the pain goes outward in the pathways of nerves from the area of injury.
In real injuries, like what you describe, objectively you can see (might need an MRI to see it...) that something is broken.
After whiplash, there might not be something visible if there is not a bulging disk. BUT the nerves can be irritated by it. The area of pain goes in a very characteristic pattern out from the neck. There often are findings on x-rays and MRI's from whiplash and the pattern of pain is very predictable.
In fibromyalgia, it is all over, diffuse, not following a pattern. Very different.
Technically, no.
Detailed Answer:
By definition in Fibromyalgia nothing is wrong. In what you describe, something IS wrong, therefore, it is not fibromyalgia.
In real injuries, like what you describe, the pain goes outward in the pathways of nerves from the area of injury.
In real injuries, like what you describe, objectively you can see (might need an MRI to see it...) that something is broken.
After whiplash, there might not be something visible if there is not a bulging disk. BUT the nerves can be irritated by it. The area of pain goes in a very characteristic pattern out from the neck. There often are findings on x-rays and MRI's from whiplash and the pattern of pain is very predictable.
In fibromyalgia, it is all over, diffuse, not following a pattern. Very different.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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