Introduction The global COVID-19 pandemic did not end when the acute infection phase subsided. For many individuals, the illness left behind long-term effects that continue to influence health months or even years later. These lingering…
Fibromyalgia
An in-depth guide on Fibromyalgia, covering its symptoms, causes, treatments, and tips for managing this chronic condition effectively.
Chest Wall Pain Mimicking Costochondritis in Fibromyalgia: Successful Treatment
Introduction Chest wall pain is one of the more alarming and often misunderstood symptoms experienced by individuals living with fibromyalgia. Because the discomfort is felt in the chest area, it can easily trigger fear of…
Fibromyalgia Colors: Red + Blue = Purple
Introduction Fibromyalgia is often described in clinical terms—widespread pain, fatigue, sleep disturbance, cognitive dysfunction—but those descriptions rarely capture what it actually feels like to live with it day to day. Many people with fibromyalgia struggle…
Confessions of a Fatigued Fibromite
Introduction There is a kind of exhaustion that sleep does not fix, a kind of pain that does not show on the outside, and a kind of daily negotiation with the body that most people…
My Story for Lady Gaga
Introduction This is my story, written as if it could reach someone whose music has often felt like a voice for people who struggle quietly behind the surface of their everyday lives. It is not…
Born This Way – Me & Lady Gaga (Me & My Story of Identity, Acceptance, and Healing Through Music)
Introduction There are songs that play in the background of life, and then there are songs that feel like they arrive at the exact moment they are needed. Born This Way by Lady Gaga is…
Pleasure, pain brain signals disrupted in fibromyalgia patients
New research indicates that a disruption of brain signals for reward and punishment contributes to increased pain sensitivity, known as hyperalgesia, in fibromyalgia patients. Results published in Arthritis & Rheumatism, a journal of the American…
Young People Report Worse Fibromyalgia Than Older Patients
Introduction Fibromyalgia is often thought of as a condition that becomes more common or more difficult with age, but patient reports and clinical observations suggest a more complicated reality. Many younger people living with fibromyalgia…
Discovery Could Eventually Help Diagnose and Treat Chronic Pain
Introduction Chronic pain is one of the most complex and misunderstood medical challenges in modern healthcare. Unlike acute pain, which serves as a clear warning signal of injury or illness, chronic pain persists long after…
Chronic vulvar pain related to irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia and interstitial cystitis
Women with vulvodynia at much higher risk for other chronic pain conditions, according to a new University of Michigan Health System study. Millions of women suffer from unexplained vulvar pain so severe it can make…