An in-depth guide on Fibromyalgia, covering its symptoms, causes, treatments, and tips for managing this chronic condition effectively.
At a recent appointment with my naturopath, to the wonderfully named Dr. Love, the topic of recurrent muscle pain flares came up. Anti-inflammatory interventions and nervous system calming remedies had not broken the cycle of muscle pain I experience. My pain predominantly occurs in my upper back/shoulder blades on either side and my glute muscles/SI joints. Even though I stretch and strengthen, which helps, I have not broken out of these painful cycles. My naturopath…
My husband and I have decided the time is finally right to start family planning – or as right as it ever will be! For most (hetero) couples, this might be as simple as throwing out the birth control pill pack and spending more time in the bedroom. Of course, many otherwise healthy couples face fertility challenges that shouldn’t be minimized. But for anyone living with chronic illness, the starting point for trying to conceive…
I recently began reading Toni Bernhard’s wonderful book How to Live Well with Chronic Illness. I was inspired to write this post after reading a section in her book where she outlines her ‘not-to-do list’. Bernhard rightly points out that it takes a great deal of self-discipline to stick within the restrictions imposed on your body by chronic illness. In my own case, I’ve found that most of my self-growth has come from recognizing, accepting,…
As most fibromyalgia patients know, there are no approved tests to diagnose this chronic pain condition. A new study has taken science a step forward in this direction. Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder have identified a brain signature that is able to predict fibromyalgia with 93% accuracy. Functional MRI scans were used to compare brain activity in 37 fibromyalgia patients and 35 healthy controls as they were exposed to multiple sensory sensations (visual,…
A few months later my husband graduated with 2 BS degrees in Finance and we were ready to start our life for real. During the first 5 years of our marriage, he had been completing his undergrad full-time and working full-time. This had left us a bit distant and out of touch with each other. We were really looking forward to some re-connecting and had scheduled a week of “vacation” together while he graduated and…
I am a mother and I am a daughter. I am a father and I am a son. I was busy living my life, and one day I got sick. I went to the doctor and they ran test after test after test and could not figure out what was wrong with me. I am a student and I am a teacher, I am a grandchild and I am a grandparent. Finally, they gave me…
The Spanish study in the Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology called “Cognitive complaints in women with fibromyalgia: Are they due to depression or to objective cognitive dysfunction?” recurited105 women with fibromyalgia for their analysis. Fibromyalgia is characterized by widespread pain, cognitive dysfunction, sleep dysfunction and fatigue. However, the cognitive dysfunction of fibrofog with its concentration issues has not always been thought of to be from the FM. Studies have shown it is from the…
There are times with Fibromyalgia that I exceed my walking limits. It is actually difficult sometimes because the limit changes. It can be a short distance one day and a decent distance the next. There was a time when I had to run all over campus to get professors to sign my thesis to get it processed. I ran around everywhere looking for everything. Too much. I was in immense pain. I would sit down…
There has been a study published in the Journal of Pain from Australia that might suggest opiates may cause increased sensitivity in some types of pain. The study had the patients who have chronic pain and hyperalgesia, which is that intense response to pain, we also see in fibromyalgia. They were taking methadone and morphine for the study. Hyperalgesia is an increased pain response such that more pain is felt than dictated by the stimulus…
This is of concern to me due to my low blood pressure issues and dizziness. And it makes me wonder. Especially since my doc mentioned I may have POTS. So the study is looking at the Baroreflex response. Without it we would stand up and get dizzy and could faint. It is mechanism in the body that tries to regulate our blood pressure. The response involves nerves in the blood vessels near, in and around…