Everyday pain management ideas

Today, I am sharing some thoughts about what causes fibromyalgia.  Current understanding of this debilitating disorder suggests that central pain processing in fibromyalgia patients is altered.  Somehow, the central nervous system (CNS)  has some faulty wiring problems, resulting in an amplified physical pain. In the adult population, it seems that more women are affected by fibromyalgia than are men.  In children and adolescents the gender ratio is 1:1. There are a few theories out there as to the root cause of fibromyalgia.  Some ideas: 1) Genetic Basis -- it seems that fibromyalgia "runs in families", suggesting that there is a specific gene  that may be involved in the perception of pain. 2) Biochemical Imbalances --Some findings in fibromyalgia show that these patients have very low levels of serotonin,which has been linked to problems with sleep,pain perception,headaches, and mood disorders. Other studies have shown that people with fibromyalgia have eleva

Tender points...click caption for WebMD animation Tender points are a unique feature of fibromaylgia.  There are 18 such points on the human body (9 pairs as shown).  Using special technique by hand or a dolorimeter, a fibromyalgia patient will experience pain in at least 11 points, and there will be at least one painful tender point in each quadrant of the body! One study found that up to 96% of fibromyalgia patients suffer from sleep disorders. It is believed that this is responsible for a deprivation of delta sleep, during which human growth hormone is produced. This hormone is essential to tissue repair. Other common problems in fibromyalgia are fatigue, concentration/memory ("fibro fog"), and depression.  There is no doubt in my mind that just enabling the patient to sleep well on a regular basis would be of great benefit! It is not uncommon for fibromyalgia patients to have coexisting conditions--some of these are lupus, disease, irritable bowel syndrome, l

I have been watching the statistics on this blog since I started it, and I could not help but notice that some of the most popular posts pertained to fibromyalgia.  So, I thought,  why not devote a whole week to the subject?  So, without further ado, on this first day of Fibromyalgia Week, I shall begin with an overview. The American Medical Association  gave official recognition to fibromyalgia back in 1987. Before that time, this disorder was considered a "wastebasket" diagnosis, but in more recent years it is being recognized as a true illness. Here are some interesting facts about fibromyalgia: The characteristic feature of fibromyalgia is chronic, widespread musculoskeletal pain, associated wit symptoms of fatigue, insomnia, and other symptoms such as stiffness, headache, and chest pain. An interesting and unique feature of fibromyalgia is "tender points"--which are specific targeted areas where people with this disorder feel an amplified pain

I just reviewed a very interesting article regarding scientific reasoning with respect to weather and various chronic pain conditions.  Many who suffer from afflictions such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, and migraines seem to feel that the weather honestly affects how they feel on any given day.  But in the world of science, the jury is still out. A peer-review of many studies on this topic revealed conflicting information.  Some studies demonstrated that certain weather changes affected pain levels for some pain conditions, while others seem to find no evidence for this.  The authors of the article conclude the following possibilities: One study method, known as the crossover method, seems to mitigate the time invariant factors in this type of study...leading to confounding results. Studies regarding pain level versus changes in barometric pressure are sometimes poorly designed, or don't really have enough subjects in the study to really com

Did you know... 18 percent of all Americans suffer from migraines. In other words, it's a very common disorder! 2-3 percent of migraine sufferers will progress from episodic migraines (occasional) to chronic migraines (suffering migraine several days of the week, every week). Risk factors for developing chronic migraine include:   increasing frequency of migraine attacks   nausea   allodynia (experiencing pain from something that does not usually cause pain)   risk is increased for persons who also have comorbid disorders such as depression, anxiety, obesity, asthma, stress, sleep apnea, other pain disorders, or neck issues   failed relief after using rescue medications can also lead to risk from episodic to chronic migraine, especially i f those medications contain barbiturates or opioids The risk of progression from episodic migraine to chronic migraine can also be reduced by the following measures: learn what your migraine triggers are (keepin

You might be familiar with Chiropractic Medicine--it's probably one of the most popular forms of alternative medical practices in the US today.  But have you ever heard of naprapathy  ? Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it as-- “…a system of treatment by manipulation of connective tissue and adjoining structures and by dietary measures that is held to facilitate the recuperative and regenerative processes of the body.” The origin of this word is from the Czech word , naprava , which in English means correction. Naprapathy is similar to chiropractic medicine because it's practitioners learn to manipulate body parts.  But rather than manipulation of bone and spine (chiropractic medicine), a doctor of naprapathic medicine manipulates connective tissues.  The goal of naprapathic medicine is to ease tension and bring the skeleton back into alignment.  This form of alternative medicine is becoming more popular due to the all too common problems that ha

Thinking about osteoporosis, I think about those who have the highest number of these risk factors-- small frame female Caucasian or Asian post-menopausal or post-hysterectomy family history Osteoporosis in and of itself is not painful, but it increases the risk of fracture. If a fracture does occur, it can be disabling or perhaps even fatal.  In the last few years I have seen a few women with known osteoporosis suffer fractures that laid them up for months on end. And it never seems to be the same after the fact, even after the bones have healed, and many physical therapy sessions have been attended. With that in mind, we must also keep in mind that other persons can suffer from osteoporosis as well. Men, for example, can develop this condition, and it's sometimes overlooked because the focus is on women with known risk factors.  Sadly, this group can suffer the same risk of fracture, and when it happens, they can be laid up for months on just like their fema