Just an observation --- how recent research into Fibro, CFS, Irritable Bowel, Migraines, etc.... all are showing related neuromuscular chemical imbalances, or a dysregulation somehow of how these substances work in the body ... especially serotonin and dopamine (there are others) -- and it's known that these chemicals are influenced by diet, in particular consumption of sugars/carbs.


Fibromyalgia

Nov 14 2000 by Joanne Kabak (drkoop.com Health News)

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Dr. Muhammad Yunus, a professor of medicine at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria ..... defines fibromyalgia as a rheumatic condition characterized by widespread pain in multiple areas of the body. Further, a sufferer has sore spots, or tender points, that are also widespread. According to the criteria established in 1990, he said there are 18 specific tender point sites and a patient needs to have at least 11 of those 18 sore spots in order to be diagnosed with fibromyalgia.

Those symptoms include: fatigue, sleep disturbance, headaches, bowel problems, numbness and tingling in the body -- mostly in the hands and feet, and a sensation of having swollen muscles and joints, even if they are not actually swollen.

"Fibromyalgia is not a psychological condition. There is a very real bio-physiological basis to the disorder," Yunus said. "We did a study a number of years ago in which we found there was no correlation between any of the symptoms and the psychological status of the patient."

As in any physical problem, depression, anxiety and stress play a role, he says. But fibromyalgia has far more to do with the body's particular chemistry. For example, fibromyalgia patients are hypersensitive to a lot of different types of stimuli, including more soreness when pressure is applied, and more sensitivity to smell, noise and other disturbances in the environment. This hypersensitivity is caused by a chemical imbalance, such as high levels of substance P or low levels of serotonin.

The cutting edge of the research, Yunus says, is based on the belief that fibromyalgia is a problem of the central nervous system, namely the spinal cord and the brain. Two of the latest studies also show a genetic link and Yunus says he is currently working on a gene mapping study along with Case Western University, under a National Institutes of Health grant.

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Yunus said based on his various studies over the years, he has found that "irritable bowel, headache, myofascial pain, chronic fatigue syndrome, restless leg syndrome, chemical sensitivities -- all those syndromes hang together and overlap." Yunus says he refers to them as "central sensitivity syndromes -- CSS."

It's a very important concept, he says, because until recently it was thought that such problems were very separate from each other. "But we've put forward that they are part of the same spectrum. It becomes more and more clear that what is common to all of these syndromes is a central sensitivity to a multiple form of stimuli," Yunus said. One important element of the CSS concept is the fact that finding a cause or a satisfactory treatment in one of these diseases may apply to the others, Yunus says.

Fibromyalgia Treatments

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One of the important parts of treating fibromyalgia is through managing pain and developing coping skills. Approaches include cognitive behavioral therapy and physical therapy. What can help a great deal is for the patient to slowly build up the ability to do regular physical exercise, to create habits that regularize sleep, and to maintain a positive attitude.

The pharmacological approach through medications includes various types of antidepressants, sometimes in combination and usually in smaller doses than used for depression, in order to treat pain. Other medications being used that are not antidepressants include cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril) and tramadol (Ultram.) Further, Yunus says a new study will be published shortly showing that the injection of zylocaine into trigger or tender points can give immediate relief from pain, with further relief continuing for several weeks.

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For the full article, click here.