Fibromyalgia
Fear of pain could increase risk of multisite pain
Pain catastrophising and fear of pain might increase the risk of developing multisite pain following injury, says research due to be published in The Journal of Pain.
Experts looked at the value of pain catastrophising, fear of pain and depression in the prediction of multisite pain after delayed onset muscle soreness (ie pain induced in the laboratory). A total of 119 (63 women, 56 men) healthy university students took part in the study. Continue reading
Fibromyalgia and melatonin – latest findings
Melatonin could play a role in fibromyalgia but the relationship is extremely complicated, experts highlight in research due to be published in Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology.
The research team measured the levels of 6-sulphatoxymelatonin (6-SMT) – a marker of melatonin – in the urine of 58 women with fibromyalgia and 39 healthy women (matched for age and body mass index). The samples were collected from 8pm until 8am the next day.
Levels of 6-SMT were significantly lower in women with fibromyalgia than the healthy women. Continue reading
Fibromyalgia: brain abnormalities may lead to hypersensitivity to non-painful events
People with fibromyalgia may have hypersensitivity to non-painful events because of reduced activation in primary sensory regions and increased activation in sensory integration areas, says a new study published in Arthritis & Rheumatology.
Previous findings highlight that people with fibromyalgia report reduced tolerance to normal sensory (auditory, visual, olfactory and tactile) stimulation in addition to greater sensitivity to pain. Continue reading
Nicole Caudill’s diagnosis of fibromyalgia devastated her life – but a pain clinic and the support of family and friends have helped her turn it back around
I am 38 years old and have lived with fibromyalgia for six years. I have suffered from depression and anxiety the majority of my life which have been controlled through medication. But while at work in 2008 I started noticing sharp pains shooting down the back of my skull and all the way down my back. I had a very stressful job and just thought this pain was due to stress. I saw my psychiatrist who prescribed more pills in the hope of easing the stress and pain.
The year 2008 was the hardest of my life. As well as going through a lot of personal issues I had a stressful career as a social worker. I now know the amount of stress I was under caused trauma to my central nervous system, which resulted in fibromyalgia. My body was giving me so many signs that I needed to take care of myself but unfortunately, this disease is the aftermath of not listening to my body. Continue reading
Fibromyalgia and abuse – more tailored interventions are needed
A high prevalence of abuse has been reported in people with fibromyalgia. Experts investigated the association between abuse history and symptom severity and quality of life in people with fibromyalgia, and reported their findings in Rheumatology International.
Of the 962 people with fibromyalgia, a total of 289 people reported a history of abuse. Of those who specified abuse types, 161 people (59%) reported more than one type of abuse (36% emotional, 32% physical, 25% sexual and 7% verbal). Continue reading
