Workaholics Report Muscle Pain

Daily life stress, intense work pace, and chronic fatigue combine with persistent muscle pain and stiffness to make life increasingly difficult. "Fibromyalgia," also known as myalgia, a condition meaning soft tissue rheumatism, affects many people today. Noting that a definitive diagnosis is quite difficult, Liv Hospital Algology (Pain Medicine) Specialist Prof. Dr. Kader Keskinbora points out that fibromyalgia is more commonly seen in workaholics.

More Common in Women

Fibromyalgia causes persistent stiffness in the neck, back, shoulders and hips, as well as muscle pain. Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition characterized by widespread muscle and joint pain lasting longer than 3 months, tender points throughout the body, fatigue, and morning stiffness. It can occur at any age and in both sexes. However, it is more frequently encountered between ages 25-60 and in women more than men. Perfectionist women and workaholics are especially at risk!

Stress and Anxiety as Contributing Factors

Stiffness resulting from stress can cause deficiency or dysfunction in certain chemical substances such as serotonin and adrenaline, which mediate transmission between the brain and peripheral nerves. Added to the deficiency of these substances, which are important in pain perception in the body, excessive stress and anxiety complicate the situation further. Recent studies point out that depression, sleep disorders, and environmental factors create a vicious cycle in fibromyalgia symptoms.

Single-Session Radiofrequency Treatment!

In treatment, the primary approach is the use of antidepressants that replace serotonin and adrenaline substances. This should be accompanied by radiofrequency treatment applied to painful trigger points in the neck, shoulders and back. A special generator producing radiofrequency current and a radiofrequency needle transmitting this current to tissue are used to enter the painful trigger points, where radiofrequency current is applied in pulsed mode for 10 minutes. Studies show a success rate of 70%. The procedure is performed once on the patient, and over an average period of 6 months to 2 years, patients experience reduced neck and back pain. Pulsed radiofrequency current provides pain relief without causing tissue damage in the treated area, making this procedure repeatable for the patient.