{"id":571,"date":"2020-04-22T20:48:35","date_gmt":"2020-04-22T19:48:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.physiotherapymatters.co.uk\/occupational-health\/?page_id=571"},"modified":"2024-05-17T08:34:52","modified_gmt":"2024-05-17T07:34:52","slug":"fibromyalgia-at-work","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.physiotherapymatters.co.uk\/occupational-health\/conditions\/fibromyalgia-at-work\/","title":{"rendered":"Fibromyalgia at Work"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fibromyalgia In The Workplace<\/h2>\n

Fibromyalgia primarily (but not exclusively) affects women between the ages of 30 and 50 years old and is often triggered by a stressful \/ traumatic physical or psychological event. Following this event, chemical imbalance in the brain and nervous system lowers the body\u2019s pain thresholds causing normal signals to be felt as pain and disturbs the body\u2019s ability to cope with physical and psychological stressors, despite no tissue damage or deformity.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Fibromyalgia in the workplace can have a significant impact on quality of life and participation in normal working activities, for example, if symptoms are poorly managed, those with fibromyalgia are more likely to have frequent and longer periods of sickness absence either due to pain or poor mental wellbeing. Keep your supervisor informed if you are seeing signs of struggling with a flare up, they may be able to help and offer a temporary period of alternative duties or refer you for support through the occupational health team.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What are the typical symptoms of fibromyalgia?<\/h3>\n

Symptoms of fibromyalgia vary widely between every person, so everyone\u2019s fibro journey is unique, however, common symptoms include<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n