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Showing posts with the label Serotonin

Pain and Pregnancy, Part Two

Fibromyalgia was not recognized as a clinical disorder until sometime in the 1990s, but it has probably existed for a lot longer than that.  People of almost any age can be affected by fibromyalgia, but many people are first diagnosed in their twenties. According to the National Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain Association, 75-90% of persons affected by fibromyalgia are women . For these reasons, it's important to share a few thoughts about the management of fibromyalgia in women during the childbearing years. There are medications for fibromyalgia, but at the present time, these drugs are not recommended for use during pregnancy.  Therefore, alternative methods of fibromyalgia management are very important. These methods include exercise, yoga, meditation,  massage and rest.  Exercise is key, because it keeps you fit and improves mood due to an increase in serotonin levels. Serotonin seems to be a key player in helping one to manage stress, in calming anxiety, and improvin

Hello Sunshine!

Serotonin  is an important chemical in the human body.  In a nutshell, it's a neurotransmitter that's involved in many body processes.  The current thinking on depression and anxiety (which often accompany chronic pain syndromes) is that there is an imbalance in the central nervous system mainly due to low levels of serotonin.  Many of the medications we use to treat depression belong to a class of drugs known as SSRIs, or  S elective S erotonin R e-uptake I nhibitors. These drugs help the body to make the most use of the serotonin a person has in their body by keeping it "active" as much as possible. But this is not the only way serotonin levels can be boosted.  There are many natural phenomenon that help fulfill this purpose.  It's good to know that these practices can help to accomplish the same goals that these medications do.  If you are a person who does not wish to take these medications, I would like to share these ideas with you today! So, wit