The one thing that defines fibromyalgia symptoms is chronic pain it bring with it.  Pain serves a valuable function by alerting the body that something is functionally or structurally wrong. A simple example is the reflex response that occurs when you accidentally touch your hand to a hot stove. Sensors in the skin sense pain. These sensors send signals along special nerve pathways to the spinal cord, which in turn sends signals to provoke a reflex that causes you to jerk your hand away from the heat source, thereby limiting damage to your hand. This is all done automatically, without thinking. Pain may be chronic or acute, sharp or dull, throbbing or steady, or intermittent or constant.

There are several medications that can be used to relieve fibromyalgia symptoms.  Your medical team will work closely with you to figure out which combination works best for you.  It’s likely you will find a muscle relaxant, in some cases antidepressants are used for both their intended use as well as to promote restful sleep.  While they are never used alone as a treatment for fibromyalgia; over the counter painkillers like ibuprofen and acetaminophen are commonly prescribed as well. The total amount of magnesium found in an adult human is approximately 25 grams. About 50-60 of this amount is found in the body's bones. Magnesium is the second most abundant intracellular substance; potassium is the most abundant extra cellular. Only about 1 of the body's magnesium is found extracellularly.

Magnesium is effective in preventing migraine headaches according to a new study published in the last issue of journal Magnesium Research. The researchers found that patients treated with magnesium, compared to those treated with placebo, had fewer migraine attacks and the attacks were milder. In addition, magnesium treated patients had improved blood flow in their brains, while those on placebo did not. This is just another confirmation of previous findings of the efficacy of magnesium in the treatment of migraine headaches and possibly fibromyalgia symptoms. Since magnesium is very inexpensive and extremely safe, every patient with migraine headache should be given a trial of magnesium supplementation.