To paraphrase a familiar advertising slogan: Is it real, or is it fibromyalgia?
Turns out, it's real, AND it's fibromyalgia.
A secret in the brain
The typical symptoms of fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) involve inflammation or pain in joints and muscles, often accompanied by fatigue. And because these symptoms are impossible to measure, FMS is often misdiagnosed as a form of arthritis, or the patient is told that the pain is "all in your head."
In the e-Alert "Get Real" (3/2/05), I told you about rheumatologist Daniel Clauw, M.D., of the University of Michigan, who gave FMS patients what they'd been waiting for: confirmation that their condition is not imagined.
Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), Dr. Clauw observed that the area of the brain that registers pain showed an increase of blood flow when FMS patients were given a low-pressure stimulus. The identical stimulus showed no change in the brains of control group subjects.
Finally, here was visual evidence that FMS patients really do experience pain differently than people who don't have the disorder.
Passed on down
Dr. Clauw's breakthrough - significant as it was - is just one important step toward acceptance of FMS as a recognized medical condition that affects an estimated four percent of the population.
The next important step is documented in the December 2006 issue of Current Pain and Headache Reports. And again, the effort is led by Dr. Clauw and his University of Michigan colleague, Richard E. Harris, Ph.D. In this newest round of research, Clauw and Harris reviewed recent studies that examined pain, brain activity, and genetics in FMS patients.
Their review included several neurobiological studies that confirmed the presence of abnormalities within central brain structures in subjects with FMS. And the latest genetic research supports the theory that inherited gene mutations are the most probable cause of FMS brain abnormalities. (I can back that up with a personal observation: I know exactly two people with FMS - a mother and her daughter.)
In a University of Michigan press release, Dr. Harris stated: "It is time for us to move past the rhetoric about whether these conditions are real, and take these patients seriously."
Where to turn
FMS treatment generally focuses on pain management measures that include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and antidepressants. Less conventional treatments include aerobic exercise, massage therapy and dietary adjustments. But FMS patients have still more alternatives, which I've covered in several e-Alerts.
"Get Real" (3/2/05) http://www.hsibaltimore.com/ealerts/ea200503/ea20050302.html
Some years ago, doctors noticed that pregnant women with FMS often experienced temporary relief from their symptoms. The reason: relaxin, a naturally occurring hormone that becomes active during pregnancy. In addition to information about an oral form of relaxin (called Vitalaxin), this e-Alert also examines details about a botanical formula, shown to relieve the degenerative effects of FMS and lupus.
"Getting the Point" (9/8/05) http://www.hsibaltimore.com/ealerts/ea200509/ea20050908.html
Mayo Clinic researchers recruited 50 subjects with persistent FMS symptoms. Pain, fatigue, and anxiety were significantly relieved in subjects who received acupuncture.
"Easy Green" (9/27/04) http://www.hsibaltimore.com/ealerts/ea200409/ea20040927.html
Chlorella (a freshwater algae that contains a wide variety of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and amino acids) stimulates immune system function and has been shown to improve pain, sleep, and anxiety in FMS patients.
E-Alert Week in Review (3/18/05) http://www.hsibaltimore.com/ealerts/ea200503/ea20050318.html
HSI members with FMS talk about natural therapies that have worked for them.
If you know someone with fibromyalgia, please share this e-Alert with them and let them know that a team of researchers at the University of Michigan is working diligently on their behalf.
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