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Allodynia: Fibromyalgia rash
You rub, touch, brush up against the most feather soft surface or wear an item of clothing a little too close to the skin.
Someone hugs you or grabs you by the hand and gently rub your back or shoulders.
Or
You’re just going about your day
Then it starts…
The itching!
The welts!
The pain!
The crazies!
You may have already been diagnosed with an invisible illness such as Lupus, Chronic Fatigue (CF), Fibromyalgia (FM), Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), Plantar Fasciitis (PF), Sciatica, Diabetes among many others. Please leave me a comment if I did not mention your condition. I want everyone to feel included; please tell us your story; we’d love to hear from you. Maybe you are just trying to get a diagnosis and you’re still tracking your symptoms.
At first it’s just a little itch, you scratch it, but it doesn’t go away so you scratch it again. The spot that itches gets bigger and you start scratching it more. The itching becomes more intense and you scratch harder and harder. You decide to examine the area and notice that it’s covered in welts. You probably have even broken the skin or near doing so. Then, just like that, the itching suddenly stops and the welts go down and it’s as if nothing ever happened.
What the heck was that?
Allodynia
This is a sensation in the form of itching or pain that you feel from a stimuli that doesn’t usually cause discomfort. It was previously thought that itching and pain were the same.
An itch was considered to be just a lower level of pain and since it was not over the threshold your body interpreted it as pain. Now we know differently. Itching originates from the skin, and mucus membranes, think mouth, eyes, nose etc. Pain on the other hand can come from all of the body parts. Most of the neurons and mechanisms that are involved in itching and pain overlap so this is the reason why some say it’s one in the same. But who cares what it’s classified as when you don’t even know why you’re itching!
Fibromyalgia is caused by a past trauma, injury or it’s own condition. Trauma and injury! These are two of the causes of invisible illnesses!
Let’s look at the types of Allodynia/Fibromyalgia rash, the cause from a scientific point of view and some ways to reduce the incidences and intensity.
Types of Allodynia/Fibromyalgia rash:
Mechanical allodynia: This is caused by touching or being touched. It could be that of a loved one or an inanimate object. Bumping into a stranger or getting jumped on by your dog. Even the touch of your clothes. You brace yourself every time you know these things are about to happen. After they do, here you are in an itch-scratch cycle for the next few hours.
Thermal allodynia: This is caused by changes in temperature that would not ordinarily cause discomfort. Sun too hot? Itchy! Weather too cold? Itchy! Air conditioning? Itchy! NO air conditioning? Still itchy!
Movement allodynia: This is the most unfortunate form since it is triggered by the everyday movements of your muscle and joints. This form is more painful than it is itchy. You just exist and it hurts.
Cause of Allodynia/Fibromyalgia rash: As mentioned at the start of the blog, it’s caused by past trauma, injury or it’s just it’s own condition. The nuts and bolts of it goes directly to the brain and the neurons. The brain is unable to correctly process the pain due to nerve damage or a phenomenon caused by pain sensitization. It could be damage from free radicals that have eventually caused damage to your nerves that eventually led to this problem.
How to reduce incidences and intensity: Without knowing the real cause you can never get relief right? Not really. You can try different things that could actually help.
- First you can go to your healthcare professional and they can prescribe something to you that may help temporarily.
- Take a note of your symptoms and start and look at how it’s affected by your diet. Sometimes the culprit is before your very eyes; trans fats, gluten and processed sugars seems a common culprit for many sufferers. Pay attention carefully and take notes.
- Change the way you approach your health and add these 10 healthy things into your home.
- Also, try adding these 15 things to make your everyday life a little more comfortable.
- As much as you can’t help it, don’t scratch. Run your hands under cool water and gently press the area to soothe. It will disappear in a few minutes…hopefully.
Research is still being done on what is the exact cause of allodynia/fibromyalgia rash and the mechanism that’s involved. You can actually do something about it now and try to get relief. Remember this is a new normal and an everyday part of your life now but it does not have to be a burdensome addition more than it already is. Practice mindfulness and remain open to changes and be in control of your feelings and keep looking for the the solutions that are available to try. Until then…
…..stop scratching!
