May 26, 2012
Topics A-Z Pain Young teenager with pain in the upper torso and lab tests negative.
Young teenager with pain in the upper torso and lab tests negative. |
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Dear Ask The Doctor: I have an extreemely bad pain in my upper torso, and pretty much everything hurts.i continuosly have this pain, but some days its worse than others. the pain is mainly in my abdomen, my back, my upper legs, down the sides of my body, underneath my breasts, under my shoulder blades and on the upper of my arms. i have been tested for years, and everything has came back fine (bloodtests, urine tests, internal andexternal ultrasounds, x rays) but a year ago, i had haemorrhagin cysts on my left ovaary, but that has recovered. i just want to know what COULD be wrong with me. the doctors are out of answers and they just dont seem to care anymore. Dear Christen: Fibromyalgia is more common in adults, but approximately 1%-7% of children and teenagers may be affected. It is difficult to diagnose it because there are no tests to do so, then you have to pay attention to symptoms like: sore spots in the muscles (tender points), aches and pains for at least three months, fatigue, sleeping problems, anxiety and depression, dizziness, memory problems. I recommend you to get a consultation with a Pediatric Rheumatologist; also a psychologist and a Physical therapist are very useful. The treatment options include: medication (like “Cymbalta”) may be used and there is no established age limit to take it, the problem is that the effects (safety and effectiveness)of those medications (most of them are anti depressants)in children and teenagers are not well studied and on the other hand fibromyalgia is more common in women over 18 years old. You will benefit of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy which helps you to learn what triggers the pain so you can cope with it, also muscle relaxation and stress management techniques like meditation. The exercise may help you too, because the more active you are the less pain and depression you have, to learn an exercise routine you can use a Physical Therapist to teach you. So, in summary try to get enough rest, practice a consistent exercise routine, keep yourself active and learn techniques that relieve your stress. |
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| Last Updated ( Tuesday, 31 January 2012 ) |
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