Chronic Pain Support Group
Physicians and professionalsdefine pain as chronic if it lasts longer than three to six months and is persistent. It's distinct from acute pain that is a direct result of injury or trauma. This support group is dedicated to those suffering from chronic pain. Discuss treatments that have worked for you, find advice for your specific experience, and find support. You're not...
Hello everyone I am feeling a little bit better I was just checking my email and I got this in my inbox so I thought I would share it with you all I hope you all are doing well this will be my last post until I get home because when I go to the mental hospital they don't allow me to have access to the computer I am going to miss each and every one of you all I will be back on ds. as soon as I can it may be a few months but I am hoping I don't have o stay that long. it all depends on my behavior
Researchers are touting a breakthrough discovery in the diagnosis of fibromyalgia a complex and painful condition that affects millions of people around the world.
In a new study being published in Pain Medicine, the journal of the American Academy of Pain Medicine, researchers based at Albany Medical College say they may have finally found the first biological evidence of what causes fibromyalgia.
bigstock-A-Chinese-Asian-female-medical-25132175Instead of being in the brain, the pathology consists of excessive sensory nerve fibers around specialized blood vessel structures located in the palms of the hands, said Frank Rice, PhD, President of Integrated Tissue Dynamics LLC (Intidyn) and the senior researcher on the study.
In a small study of fibromyalgia patients, researchers found an enormous increase in sensory nerve fibers in the blood vessels of the skin on the patients palms. The extra nerve fibers appear to disrupt the normal flow of blood, which may explain why many fibromyalgia patients often complain of tenderness or pain in their hands and feet.
We previously thought that these nerve endings were only involved in regulating blood flow at a subconscious level, yet here we had evidence that the blood vessel endings could also contribute to our conscious sense of touch and also pain, said Rice.
This discovery provides concrete evidence of a fibromyalgia-specific pathology which can now be used for diagnosing the disease, and as a novel starting point for developing more effective therapeutics.
Fibromyalgia is a poorly understood disorder that is characterized by joint pain, deep tissue pain, fatigue, depression, headaches, depression and lack of sleep. It affects about 10 million Americans, and one in 20 people worldwide. The underlying cause of fibromyalgia has confounded physicians for decades.
To analyze the nerve endings, Rice and his colleagues used microscopic technology to study small skin biopsies collected from the palms of fibromyalgia patients. The study was limited to women, who have over twice the occurrence of fibromyalgia than men.
Image courtesy of Frank L. Rice, PhD, Integrated Tissue Dynamics, LLC
Image courtesy of Frank L. Rice, PhD, Integrated Tissue Dynamics, LLC
The team found the extra sensory nerve fibers in tiny muscular valves or shunts, which form a direct connection between arterioles and venules, the blood vessels in the skin.
The shunts essentially act as thermostats, regulating body heat. Under warm conditions, the shunts close down to force blood into the capillaries of the skin in order to radiate heat away from the body. Under cold conditions, the shunts open wide, allowing blood to bypass the capillaries in order to conserve heat.
The excess sensory innervation may itself explain why fibromyalgia patients typically have especially tender and painful hands. But, in addition, since the sensory fibers are responsible for opening the shunts, they would become particularly active under cold conditions, which are generally very bothersome to fibromyalgia patients, said Dr. Charles Argoff, an Albany Medical Center neurologist and pain specialist, who was the studys primary investigator.
Although they are mostly limited to the hands and feet, researchers say the shunts could have another important function which could account for the widespread pain, achiness, and fatigue that occurs in fibromyalgia patients.
An enormous proportion of our blood flow normally goes to our hands and feet. Far more than is needed for their metabolism noted Dr. Rice. As such, the hands and the feet act as a reservoir from which blood flow can be diverted to other tissues of the body, such as muscles when we begin to exercise.
Therefore, the pathology discovered among these shunts in the hands could be interfering with blood flow to the muscles throughout the body. This mismanaged blood flow could be the source of muscular pain and achiness, and the sense of fatigue which are thought to be due to a build-up of lactic acid and low levels of inflammation (in) fibromyalgia patients.
It is exciting that something has finally been found. said Dr. Gary Bennett, Senior Research Chair of the Alan Edwards Center for Pain Research at McGill University. We can hope that this new finding will lead to new treatments for fibromyalgia patients who now receive little or no relief from any medicine.
Researchers are touting a breakthrough discovery in the diagnosis of fibromyalgia a complex and painful condition that affects millions of people around the world.
In a new study being published in Pain Medicine, the journal of the American Academy of Pain Medicine, researchers based at Albany Medical College say they may have finally found the first biological evidence of what causes fibromyalgia.
bigstock-A-Chinese-Asian-female-medical-25132175Instead of being in the brain, the pathology consists of excessive sensory nerve fibers around specialized blood vessel structures located in the palms of the hands, said Frank Rice, PhD, President of Integrated Tissue Dynamics LLC (Intidyn) and the senior researcher on the study.
In a small study of fibromyalgia patients, researchers found an enormous increase in sensory nerve fibers in the blood vessels of the skin on the patients palms. The extra nerve fibers appear to disrupt the normal flow of blood, which may explain why many fibromyalgia patients often complain of tenderness or pain in their hands and feet.
We previously thought that these nerve endings were only involved in regulating blood flow at a subconscious level, yet here we had evidence that the blood vessel endings could also contribute to our conscious sense of touch and also pain, said Rice.
This discovery provides concrete evidence of a fibromyalgia-specific pathology which can now be used for diagnosing the disease, and as a novel starting point for developing more effective therapeutics.
Fibromyalgia is a poorly understood disorder that is characterized by joint pain, deep tissue pain, fatigue, depression, headaches, depression and lack of sleep. It affects about 10 million Americans, and one in 20 people worldwide. The underlying cause of fibromyalgia has confounded physicians for decades.
To analyze the nerve endings, Rice and his colleagues used microscopic technology to study small skin biopsies collected from the palms of fibromyalgia patients. The study was limited to women, who have over twice the occurrence of fibromyalgia than men.
Image courtesy of Frank L. Rice, PhD, Integrated Tissue Dynamics, LLC
Image courtesy of Frank L. Rice, PhD, Integrated Tissue Dynamics, LLC
The team found the extra sensory nerve fibers in tiny muscular valves or shunts, which form a direct connection between arterioles and venules, the blood vessels in the skin.
The shunts essentially act as thermostats, regulating body heat. Under warm conditions, the shunts close down to force blood into the capillaries of the skin in order to radiate heat away from the body. Under cold conditions, the shunts open wide, allowing blood to bypass the capillaries in order to conserve heat.
The excess sensory innervation may itself explain why fibromyalgia patients typically have especially tender and painful hands. But, in addition, since the sensory fibers are responsible for opening the shunts, they would become particularly active under cold conditions, which are generally very bothersome to fibromyalgia patients, said Dr. Charles Argoff, an Albany Medical Center neurologist and pain specialist, who was the studys primary investigator.
Although they are mostly limited to the hands and feet, researchers say the shunts could have another important function which could account for the widespread pain, achiness, and fatigue that occurs in fibromyalgia patients.
An enormous proportion of our blood flow normally goes to our hands and feet. Far more than is needed for their metabolism noted Dr. Rice. As such, the hands and the feet act as a reservoir from which blood flow can be diverted to other tissues of the body, such as muscles when we begin to exercise.
Therefore, the pathology discovered among these shunts in the hands could be interfering with blood flow to the muscles throughout the body. This mismanaged blood flow could be the source of muscular pain and achiness, and the sense of fatigue which are thought to be due to a build-up of lactic acid and low levels of inflammation (in) fibromyalgia patients.
It is exciting that something has finally been found. said Dr. Gary Bennett, Senior Research Chair of the Alan Edwards Center for Pain Research at McGill University. We can hope that this new finding will lead to new treatments for fibromyalgia patients who now receive little or no relief from any medicine.
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Thanks Tabby, im going to show this to people I know who have Fibromyalgia, its very kind of you. I hope your feeling better, keep in touch if you can, love Susie xx
deleted_user
Interesting article but most fibro ppl I know do not complain of pain in their hands. My hands don't bother me at all, maybe a little stiff sometimes but its the least of my fibro problems. My feet are ok as well.
deleted_user
Hi tabby , I agree with jen, it is very interesting but I do not have pain in my hands or feet. Nowif they spoke of shoulders I would think they may have stumbled onto something . I won't be jumping for joy yet. A few months ago a German Professor came up with the idea that all fibro patients had to do to stop the nerve pain was to drink large quanitities of a full figure beer, like Stout or High lager. Now the only issue I have with drink beer is the fact that the yeast is not good for fibro patients and neither is the salt. So not always can you believe everything you read. but thank you Tabby for trying to give us some wonderful news. It is always nice to hear there is hope and studies going on. good luck in the pysch hospital you will find thwe time will go fast as they give you things to do and try and therapy to help improve your mood and medical disorder. I know you will be lonely for the first while but the idea is to focus on yourself and not have distractions. it is amazing how you will feel, just think of it as a healthy retreat to cleanse your mind and soul. I will be think of you. Take care isabee
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