It is a common misunderstanding that rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia are the same conditions. However, they are entirely different and only have similar symptoms like chronic pain, difficulty sleeping, fatigue, and mood disorders like anxiety and depression.
Besides these symptoms, rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia share very little in common. Rheumatoid arthritis causes your immune system to attack the joints, which makes it an autoimmune disorder. Fibromyalgia, on the other hand, is only classified as a rheumatic disorder that causes chronic musculoskeletal pain, extreme fatigue, insomnia, and memory and concentration issues.
The Arthritis Foundation classifies fibromyalgia only as an “arthritis-related condition” because even though it is a rheumatic disease just like rheumatoid arthritis, it differs from arthritis in a number ways.
The progression of each condition is quite different, for one. Rheumatoid arthritis can develop and progress aggressively without treatment without any external factors. However, fibromyalgia begins with continuous pain–often more manageable than not– that intensifies with the accompanying symptoms that sometimes go unnoticed, like a lack of sleep and too much stress.
Always discuss your symptoms with your doctor as accurately as possible to allow him to reach a diagnosis as soon as possible since these conditions are related.
Fibromyalgia Symptoms vs. Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms
- – Rheumatoid arthritis causes inflammation (flare-ups) in the joints that go away and then recur, whereas fibromyalgia causes continuous, body-wide muscle and tissue pain.
- – Both rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia cause acute pain and morning stiffness.
- – The inflammation caused by RA damages the joints, whereas fibromyalgia doesn’t deteriorate tissues or muscles.
- – Fibromyalgia pain lasts at least three months while rheumatoid arthritis inflammation may persist for up to 6 weeks.
- – Both fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis cause fatigue, sleep difficulties, depression, and anxiety.
Besides these symptoms, people with fibromyalgia often have tender spots that are extra sensitive to stimuli, which can be on the back, elbows, back of your head, and knees. Some people with fibromyalgia also have memory problems–referred to as fibro fog– and suffer from headaches. People with RA, on the other hand, experience flare-ups, or outbreaks, of pain in the joints and stiffness. Rheumatoid arthritis often begins in the hands and feet, characterized by red, inflamed joints.
Featured Image: Depositphotos/luckybusiness