Q: Is Fibromyalgia real, and how can it affect my feet?

A: YES, it is real. Generally, there is a history of some traumatic or very upsetting event in a person’s life that severely disrupts their sleep patterns for an extended time. This alters the normal production cycle of serotonin by the body, which can make the central nervous system hyper-sensitive to pain. In the feet, as elsewhere in the body, fibromyalgia can make conditions that would normally be painful even more painful. Because of this, treating patients with fibromyalgia often takes a little extra time, patience and understanding.