Popular Actor Diagnosed With Fibromyalgia, A Condition That Limits Activities

Popular American actor Morgan Freeman has been diagnosed with fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that is marked by widespread pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances, cognitive difficulties, and emotional distress.

According to reports, Morgan Freeman developed fibromyalgia in 2008 after being involved in a car accident that left him with multiple injuries, nerve damage, and chronic pain.

His symptoms include chronic pain that affects his daily life and mobility, as well as severe fatigue that interferes with his daily activities.

Despite these challenges, Freeman continues to work on films and TV series while advocating for fibromyalgia awareness.

He advocates for fibromyalgia awareness, using his platform to raise understanding, support, and education about the condition.

Through his advocacy, Freeman inspires others living with fibromyalgia and helps break down stigmas surrounding chronic illnesses.

Symptoms of a fibromyalgia attack

People experience fibromyalgia flares differently. One person may find that their back pain gets much more severe, while another person may have more intense headaches.

Symptoms of fibromyalgia include:

Widespread pain
The pain of fibromyalgia may be described as aching, burning, gnawing, stabbing, or throbbing.

Some of the more common forms of fibromyalgia pain include:

• Lower back pain, sometimes with shooting leg pains
• Muscle cramps, especially in the legs
• Migraines or severe tension headaches
• Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) (pain in the jaw joints and the muscles that control the jaw)
• Other joint pain, especially in the neck, shoulders, and hips
• Dysesthesia (an uncomfortable sensation of numbness, prickling, or tingling, often in the hands or feet)

Hypersensitivity
In addition to chronic pain, people with fibromyalgia often experience allodynia and hyperalgesia.

Allodynia is a lowered pain threshold that causes you to experience pain from something that would not normally hurt, such as a light touch. Hyperalgesia is an unusually intense pain response to something that would normally hurt. The pain may also last much longer than expected.

People with fibromyalgia are also often exceptionally sensitive to noise, lights, smells, temperature changes, and/or vibration. This can quickly lead to sensory overload, which can make other fibromyalgia symptoms even worse.

Stiffness
About 80% of people with fibromyalgia feel stiff for at least 15 minutes upon waking in the morning. For many, this continues for hours afterward, and they must allow for extra time in their morning routine because their movement is so limited. The same stiffness may return later in the day if they’ve been sitting still for a while and then get up.

Fatigue
People with fibromyalgia typically feel exhausted much of the time, even after sleeping or resting. Their stamina (strength for a lengthy physical or mental task) is often significantly reduced. After a physical effort such as work or exercise, the person often experiences a worsening of symptoms, including extreme fatigue, muscle exhaustion, and increased pain.

Difficulty sleeping
Researchers have found that over 90% of people with fibromyalgia have trouble sleeping.

Sleep disorders common in people with fibromyalgia include:

• Insomnia — problems falling asleep or staying asleep
• Restless leg syndrome — an uncomfortable urge to move your legs
• Periodic limb movement disorder — your legs or arms move repetitively during sleep
• Sleep apnea — you experience pauses in your breathing during sleep

Muscle weakness and tightness
Muscle weakness means a loss of muscle strength. Fibromyalgia can cause generalized weakness, affecting all your muscles at once, or weakness in a particular muscle. Your muscles may be easily exhausted and respond by trembling or twitching.

In fibromyalgia, your muscles may be tight or tense much of the time, leading to soreness and pain. Tight muscles may result in a decrease in your strength and range of motion.

Problems with memory and concentration
“Fibro fog” is a common description of the forgetfulness, confusion, and trouble focusing often experienced in fibromyalgia. Communication may become more difficult during a flare, as it may take even longer than usual for you to process information and respond.