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Benefits of Back to School; working with fibromyalgia

It is that time of year when school supplies are lining the store shelves and proud parents are posting first day of school pictures.

I have said it time and time again that I am lucky because I have found the right combination of medicines, supplements & integrative therapies to be able to keep working outside of home. I LOVE my job. I work as a paraprofessional helping kiddos (English as a second language) ranging from Pre-K to 12th grade. I could write a blog post talking about all of the things that I love about my job but the best thing is the kids and their families.

Today, is my last day of summer before going back to work. I have been off since the last day of summer school on July 21st. It is definitely time to go back. I miss my students and quite honestly I miss money.

If you do not have fibro you probably do not have a clue the struggles of working. Just because I am able to go to work does not mean that I am feeling great or even good. The levels change but everyday I am in pain and fatigued. It is a struggle to get out of bed, take my meds, get dressed and drive to work. By the time I get to work my meds have kicked in and my body isn’t as stiff and sore as it was when I woke up. It isn’t always easy being at work. We all have those triggers that can increase the pain, fatigue & brain fog.

However, for me on most days the benefits of getting up and getting out of the house are worth the early alarm and forcing myself to get going on my worst days.

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How can a job help you feel better? Certainly this is not the case for most but for me my job helps me get exercise, keep me from isolating myself, increases “happy” feelings & able to pay for my treatments.

First, we all know that exercise is important for many reasons but for someone that is in pain walking I am limited to what kind of exercise I can do. Low-impact exercise often reduces pain and fatigue, creates endorphin’s that help to reduce anxiety, stress, and depression.

It is important that fibromites balance movement and rest. My work schedule ensures that I do both. I follow the student’s schedules which means that each hour when the class bell rings I am up and walking to my next class.

Secondly, Fibromyalgia can be very isolating. The pain and fatigue can limit how much activity we can do. It is easy to withdraw from social life and stay at home. Even phone calls can be too much. Although, social media offers connections to others it isn’t the same as in person. I have spent the majority of my time off not leaving my house or yard. Partly because it is my time to rest, mark things off the to-do list, by the time others are off work or ready to do something I am tired and getting ready for bed and financial reasons.

Third, working with the kids has the same effect on me as volunteering. Creating positive learning experiences has a positive impact on me as well. Helping someone else can help you change your own outlook and attitude.

Lastly, $$$ – Enough said?

Fibromyalgia is not cheap. In addition to the normal bills that everyone has fibro adds a huge expense. I have found through trial and error things that help to manage fibromyalgia and the “evil sidekicks”. On a daily basis I use medicine, supplements, ice packs, heating pads, kt tape, essential oils, and pain relieving devices. Each month I possibly could add having appointments with a doctor, my chiropractor or my acupuncturist.

Back to School means all of those wonderful things to me. It helps me to take care of me so I can continue to be a Fibro Warrior ~ Living Life.

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References:

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Fibromyalgia Stores

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04/07/2021
My Story for Lady Gaga

Waania Shamim is a young, enthusiastic woman who has lived with fibromyalgia, chronic pain, and chronic migraines for the last three years. She puts a positive spin on her life as a chronic pain patient and wants to help others feel better about their prognoses. Waania is on her way to becoming a wonderful advocate.

Written in G ♯ minor and at 120 beats per minute, the synthetic sound that rocks with pop beats became instantly recognizable. There she appears in a one strap black latex jumpsuit, glistening as she emerges from the water wearing a mask that looks as if it has been made from a disco ball. There she is in all her glory – beautiful, eccentric, bold. Since that first image of her, I have been a fan of this extraordinary woman.

Lady Gaga, who has since been named, Mother Monster by her followers, has never apologized for being outlandish. She is known for being provocative and unconventional in her ways of entertaining, hello remember the Meat Dress? She is also known for being completely open about her life and past and experiences.

But, Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta has been in the news as of late not for her music, but for revealing she suffers from chronic pain and fibromyalgia.

This week alone this mega icon has canceled her European lag of her tour and posted her pain. Not many people are open about their private lives and for any person who suffers from anything, being open to the public critique and ridicule makes speaking out harder than just being mute, putting on a smile, and saying “Everything is fine.”

So why is her canceling her tour, coming out as suffering from Fibromyalgia, and promoting a documentary about her life behind the lights of stardom entitled “Lady Gaga: Five Foot Two,” news?

Lady Gaga’s public admittance is bringing this disorder that is estimated to affect more than 100 million people* to the forefront. I believe her coming out and being truthful about the chronic pain she lives with is starting the conversation that hasn’t always happened. If a star as huge as Lady Gaga has chronic pain and fibromyalgia, then it solidifies that it is real because she is perfect, has a perfect life, and can’t possibly be faking it. Right? She’s never lied to her fans or the public about any aspect of her life, trauma, and beliefs so why would she make this up?

“I use the word suffer not only because trauma and chronic pain have changed my life, but because they are keeping me from living a normal life.” ~ Lady Gaga

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Her documentary is being looked at by some as potentially a negative based on how she portrays herself and chronic pain. Some people are saying they’re scared of how this will portray chronic pain because she, as a celebrity, has access to treatments and medication that those of who aren’t millionaires don’t have. I am sure she is with the best doctors and using the best “treatments” available because she does have the money, but I think speaking out about it is more of a win than whatever she shows us in her documentary. The words “chronic pain,” and “fibromyalgia” are now on the radar of millions of people thanks to her. I’m sure some of her fans who have never heard of fibromyalgia looked it up, are trying to understand it, and maybe even finding people they never knew who suffered are suffering all simply because she put it out in the universe.

I might not be saying it from a microphone to millions of people at once but I have a voice. I do not shy away from talking about what I have, what I “suffer” with. And, like Gaga says in her statement posted today:

I use the word “suffer” not for pity, or attention, and have been disappointed to see people online suggest that I’m being dramatic, making this up, or playing the victim to get out of touring. If you knew me, you would know this couldn’t be further from the truth. I’m a fighter.

To me Lady Gaga brings hope for awareness, understanding, and acceptance. She shows that a celebrity, a world-wide icon at the end of the day, struggles with the same issues you and I do. She is more than the woman we see in her extravagant videos or on stage doing amazing choreography in heels that most of us couldn’t even stand in for a second. She. Is. Human.

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For More Information Related to Fibromyalgia Visit below sites:

References:

Fibromyalgia Contact Us Directly

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Official Fibromyalgia Blogs

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Fibromyalgia Stores

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04/07/2021
Born this Way – Me & Lady Gaga

Like most in the chronic pain community I was excited to hear that Lady Gaga was speaking out about her recent diagnosis of fibromyalgia.

I have been hoping for years that the fibromyalgia/chronic pain community would have a celebrity spokesperson. It isn’t that I was hoping someone would get fibro but I was hoping that if they did they would use their celebrity status to shed some light on what most call the “invisible disease”.

Many fibromites have worried what it would do to how people think about us if they see how much a celebrity diagnosed is able to do when we can’t even get out of bed. We see her performing long concerts, singing & dancing at night after a long day of travel and rehearsal.

This past August Gaga announced her documentary. The film follows Gaga over eight months as she works on and releases her 2016 album “Joanne”, performs at the Super Bowl, and spends time with her family and friends.

Prior to the film release she announced that she had been diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Lady Gaga tweeted that she wants to connect with others who also have fibromyalgia. She wrote, “In our documentary the #chronicillness #chronicpain I deal w/ is #Fibromyalgia I wish to help raise awareness & connect people who have it.”

Also, before the film release she was hospitalized and had to cancel her tour.

She posted on Twitter at 1:26 PM – Sep 14, 2017
“xoxo, Gaga @ladygaga
Brazil, I’m devastated that I’m not well enough 2 come to Rock In Rio.
I would do anything 4 u but I have to take care of my body right now.”

Finally! We had a voice that would be heard.

I couldn’t wait to view her documentary, Lady Gaga Five Foot 2.

I watched it by myself this weekend and several scenes stuck with me.

Watching her cry in pain saying, “I just think about other people that have maybe something like this that are struggling to figure out what it is, and they don’t have the money to have somebody help them,” she says through tears. “Like, I don’t know what I’d fuckin’ do if I didn’t have everybody here to help me. What the hell would I do? … Do I look pathetic? I’m so embarrassed.”

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Tami Stackelhouse, author, Founder of International Fibromyalgia Coaching Institute states, “In one scene Lady Gaga talks about using adrenaline to push through her pain and perform. This is the push/crash cycle. If you can break that cycle (and yes, you can break it) you’ll have more predictable energy levels and less pain. Some info on how I recommend you do that can be found in my first book. Grab a free copy at TakeBackYourLifeBook.com”

Personally, when I saw her laying on couch, grabbing someone’s shoulder in pain as they moved/stretched her hips and legs I began to cry. Too many times I have needed others to help to manipulate my trigger points as tears fall down my cheeks.

I kept waiting to hear her talk about fibromyalgia. It didn’t happen. As it ended I reluctantly decided to post in a couple of my support groups “I might be the only one who was disappointed in the documentary.”

I know who Lady Gaga is and have heard a lot of her music but I do not follow her enough to know that the film was recorded prior to her diagnosis. After learning that the diagnosis came after the filming of the video I understood why she did not bring up fibromyalgia.

I think that the media hype that was created when she announced her diagnosis and canceling of the tour led to inaccurate posts about the film. We were all expecting to see a documentary showing her life with fibromalgia.

Manda Laclair, a Fibro Warrior wrote,
“I watched it. It was supposed to “open the worlds eyes about fibromyalgia.” it didn’t. It did not mention fibromyalgia once. It showed lady gaga doing what she does every day. It was real. I cried when I saw her in a flare up crying because that’s been me so many times and its great for the world to realize that just because someone is doing their job and they look healthy doesn’t mean they’re not in pain. She admitted to being in pain for almost her whole tour once, and that sucks. Working through a flare up doing your best to ignore is not easy. I’m thankful lady gaga was real and allowed us to see a glimpse inside what chronic pain looks like. But to say it opened the world up to what fibromyalgia is, is disappointing. So much more could have been discussed and covered however, it is a great start. So thank you lady gaga for sharing your story.”

I agree with Manda, I am grateful that Lady Gaga showed herself at her most vulnerable. I too was disappointed. I wanted to hear more. I wanted the film to be like a 20/20 or Dateline documentary.

However, I know now that the film was made before her diagnosis and was not meant to be about fibromyalgia but gave us a glimpse of the pain she has been going through over the past 5 years.

I saw similarities between myself and Lady Gaga.
We both have lived most of our lives feeling insecure and not good enough.
We both feel alone & lonely even while surrounded by others.
We both have had surgeries that are still causing us pain.
We both have tried various therapies to help relieve the pain. i.e. triggerpoint injections, cupping, massages, stretch therapies and medication.
We both have to rely on others to help to bring us our medicine, ice packs, heating pads, and work our trigger points.
We both have family members with Lupus.
We both make the mistake of pushing ourselves to get through things we have to do and then experience a painful crash afterwards.

and like Lady Gaga….

“I was born to survive” “I was born to be brave” “I was born this way”
&
I was born to be a Fibro Warrior~Living Life!

“I have always been honest about my physical and mental health struggles. Searching for years to get to the bottom of them. It is complicated and difficult to explain, and we are trying to figure it out. As I get stronger and when I feel ready, I will tell my story in more depth, and plan to take this on strongly so I can not only raise awareness, but expand research for others who suffer as I do, so I can help make a difference. I use the word “suffer” not for pity, or attention, and have been disappointed to see people online suggest that I’m being dramatic, making this up, or playing the victim to get out of touring. If you knew me, you would know this couldn’t be further from the truth. I’m a fighter. I use the word suffer not only because trauma and chronic pain have changed my life, but because they are keeping me from living a normal life. They are also keeping me from what I love the most in the world: performing for my fans. I am looking forward to touring again soon, but I have to be with my doctors right now so I can be strong and perform for you all for the next 60 years or more. I love you so much.” ~ Lady Gaga

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For More Information Related to Fibromyalgia Visit below sites:

References:

Fibromyalgia Contact Us Directly

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Official Fibromyalgia Blogs

Click here to Get the latest Chronic illness Updates

Fibromyalgia Stores

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04/07/2021
Finding Your Faith Within Fibromyalgia by Miashy Straus

Miashy can be reached through her website Spoons to Share where she blogs and shares insights on how to find your faith within Fibromyalgia. She also offers complimentary consultations for those interested in exploring how they can find accommodations to help them observe their faith in a fibrofriendly way.

Faith is another one of those difficult to approach topics. When I refer to faith in this blog, I refer to religion. Specifically, I am referring to faith in G-d. In a 2016 study presented by Gallup.com 89% of people polled in the United States believe in G-d or a “universal spirit.”

Then when you are diagnosed with a chronic condition or scary illness, faith can waver. I’m someone who strongly believes in G-d, yet, there were many times I was angry with G-d for the major life changes that chronic pain and autoimmune disorders cause. I’m sure many of you can identify with this situation. Right now, G-d and I are on pretty decent terms and we have open communication, so things for me in that department are all good.

In an article entitled “Illness Doesn’t Equal Lack of Faith,” Suzanne Stewart, the author discusses that people that may be overzealous or “fundamentalists” (her quotations, not mine) will blame your diagnosis on your lack of faith in G-d, or a higher power. I can identify with this. I was once told, by an observant friend (I wasn’t as observant at the time), that life threatening illnesses are caused by your lack of faith in G-d. I was shocked. I had never heard such a thing. A few years later, I had moved away for graduate school and received a call from this friend.

She called to let me know that her father passed away from a brief but terrible illness. My mind started racing. Despite this comment that my friend made, her family was kind, wonderful, and giving. They invited me for Sabbath and holy day meals all the time. Her father radiated nothing but kindness and now he was dead. I, of course, never mentioned what my friend had said in connection with her father, but I knew it couldn’t be true.

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I’ve also been sent messages, since I’ve started blogging and posting articles on my Facebook page that I’m ill because I don’t accept Jesus as my savior. If you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m Jewish. At first I was angry at these people, but then realized it was a level of ignorance surrounding my faith. And, ignorance comes out strong with illness. I believe these people meant well, but their knowledge, biblical or otherwise was sorely lacking.

Stewart ends her article with the following statement: “I’m not here to judge any of these Faiths or beliefs, but I am here to say that nobody is sick because of their belief system or lack of faith. People don’t live with chronic pain day in and day out due to any Religious affiliations or lack thereof. We don’t use a cane, a wheelchair or a walker because we do not pray enough. It does not help a person with chronic pain and illness, to approach them and say any of the words that I’ve stated above. If you choose to pray for someone, then you can do that. But don’t try to push guilt and more pain onto anyone who’s already suffering. That doesn’t help, it only hurts and makes things much worse. Please try to remember to treat others as you would wish to be treated.”

We need to take this information to heart. As much as it feels like a punishment to have Fibromyalgia or any other chronic pain or autoimmune conditions, no one, including G-d, is punishing us. It took me a long time to recognize this, but my diagnosis lead me towards wonderful things including becoming a Fibromyalgia Advisor as well as making incredible friends who just happen to share the same disorder.

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For More Information Related to Fibromyalgia Visit below sites:

References:

Fibromyalgia Contact Us Directly

Click here to Contact us Directly on Inbox

Official Fibromyalgia Blogs

Click here to Get the latest Chronic illness Updates

Fibromyalgia Stores

Click here to Visit Fibromyalgia Store

04/07/2021
That was Then…This is Now Life with Fibromyalgia

Alarm rings at 5 a.m. I jump out of bed to start making fresh blueberry muffins and the evening’s crock-pot dinner. Out the door by 6 a.m. for a full day (up to 10 hours) of work followed by whatever after school activity my kiddo had for the night.

The night ends making sure our daughter’s homework is done, bath & bed, leaving me a few hours to pick up the house, play on the computer and watch TV before going to sleep (roughly 10:30 p.m.)

Flash forward 8 years…

Alarm rings at 6 a.m. Slowly, I get out of bed to get my morning medicine. I lie back down in bed hitting snooze until 6:30 a.m. The next 30 minutes I get dressed and apply my makeup. Again, I return to bed until the last alarm goes off at 7:15 a.m. I grab my bag and ease my way down the stairs to head off to a 7 hour work day. After a short drive I am home, changed into my pajamas and laying down on the couch for a nap.

I can’t recall the last time I made blueberry muffins so a week ago I decided I would bake for my family. The blueberry mix packages sat on the kitchen counter for 8 days. I finally had enough energy to make them today. It isn’t as if it takes a lot of energy to open 2 packages, add milk, stir and bake. Unfortunately, that is still more than I can do nowadays.

Then … I would religiously decorate the house the first of each month for whatever holiday was that month.

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Now … It happens when it happens. It is November 12th and although my Halloween decorations have been put away, my Thanksgiving decorations have been in a tote sitting at the bottom of my stairs for a week. All I need to do is ask to have it carried upstairs. I hate asking. After all these years, I continue to struggle with asking for assistance.

Then … I planned ahead. At the beginning of each month I would plan out and go shopping for the entire month of meals. We would seldom run out of grocery items and when we did I did the shopping and the majority of the cooking.

Now … There is no plan. I simply do not have the energy to think or create meals. For the past 4 years I have relied on my husband to do the majority of all cooking. We run out of everything often. Thankfully, our daughter is old enough to drive and will stop and pick up groceries whenever we need them.

I have spent a lot of time looking back at what I used to do and what I am not able to do any longer. My comparison list between then and now could go on and on. Socrates wrote, “The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on the fighting the old, but on building the new.”

Yes, it is important to be realistic about what you can do but it is equally important to not limit yourself to what you have done in the past. Instead of continuing to look at the past I plan on looking toward the future. Push myself, just a little and give myself credit when credit is do.

After all. I am a Fibro Warrior ~ Living Life!

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For More Information Related to Fibromyalgia Visit below sites:

References:

Fibromyalgia Contact Us Directly

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Official Fibromyalgia Blogs

Click here to Get the latest Chronic illness Updates

Fibromyalgia Stores

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04/07/2021
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 College of Rheumatology, suggest that this altered brain processing might contribute to widespread pain and lack of response to opioid therapy in patients with fibromyalgia.

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Fibromyalgia is a chronic, musculoskeletal syndrome characterized by widespread joint and muscle pain along with other symptoms such as fatigue, sleep disturbances, and cognitive difficulty. Previous research estimates that fibromyalgia affects 3.4% of women and 0.5% of men in the U.S. Prevalence of this pain disorder increases with age, affecting more than 7% of women between 60 and 79 years of age.

“In patients with fibromyalgia there is an alteration in the central nervous system pain processing and a poor response to topical pain treatments, trigger point injections and opioids,” said lead author Dr. Marco Loggia from Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston. “Our study examines the disruption of brain function involved in the individual experience of pain anticipation and pain relief.”

For the present study, the research team enrolled 31 patients with fibromyalgia and 14 healthy controls. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and cuff pressure pain stimuli on the leg were performed on all subjects. During the MRI, participants received visual cues alerting them of impending pain onset (pain anticipation) and pain offset (relief anticipation).

Results show that during pain anticipation and relief, fibromyalgia patients displayed less robust response within brain regions involved in sensory, affective, cognitive and pain regulating processes. The ventral tegmental area (VTA) — a group of neurons in the center of the brain involved in the processing of reward and punishment — displayed activation during pain anticipation and stimulation, but deactivation during anticipation of relief in healthy controls. In contrast, VTA responses during periods of pain, and anticipation of pain and relief, in fibromyalgia patients were significantly reduced or inhibited.

Dr. Loggia concludes, “Our findings suggest that fibromyalgia patients exhibit altered brain responses to punishing and rewarding events, such as expectancy of pain and relief of pain. These observations may contribute to explain the heightened sensitivity to pain, as well as the lack of effectiveness of pain medications such as opioids, observed in these patients. Future studies should further investigate the neurochemical basis underlying these dysfunctions.”

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References:

Fibromyalgia Contact Us Directly

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Official Fibromyalgia Blogs

Click here to Get the latest Chronic illness Updates

Fibromyalgia Stores

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04/06/2021
Young people report worse fibromyalgia than older patients

It may seem counterintuitive, but young and middle-aged fibromyalgia patients report worse symptoms and poorer quality of life than older patients, a Mayo Clinic study shows. Fibromyalgia most often strikes women. It is characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain with fatigue, sleep, memory and mood issues. The research, one of several Mayo studies being presented at the American College of Rheumatology annual meeting, suggests the disorder plays out differently among different age groups.

Researchers studied 978 fibromyalgia patients and divided them into three age groups: those 39 or younger, those 50 to 59, and those 60 or older. The younger and middle-aged patients were likelier to be employed, unmarried, smokers and have a higher education level, lower body mass index, more abuse history and a shorter duration of fibromyalgia symptoms than older patients.

“Among the three age groups of young, middle-aged and older, symptom severity and quality of life differs,” says senior author Terry Oh, M.D., a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. The study’s findings were surprising, because quality of life and physical health are considered to be negatively associated with age, Dr. Oh says.

Dr. Oh notes that women in all three groups with fibromyalgia reported a lower quality of life than average U.S. women, and that the difference between their physical health and that of the average woman was more significant than mental health differences, particularly in young patients.

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In other studies, Mayo researchers found:

*About 7 percent of fibromyalgia patients had inflammatory rheumatic conditions, and that in general, those fibromyalgia patients didn’t do as well with treatment as those without rheumatic diseases.

*Fibromyalgia patients may also have skin-related symptoms such as excessive sweating or burning or other sensations.

*Obese patients with polymyalgia rheumatica have more pain and disability than other polymyalgia rheumatica patients. They also tend to need higher doses of glucocorticoids.

*Rheumatoid arthritis patient experiences and symptoms do not always reflect what medical literature shows when it comes to pain, morning stiffness, the relationship between swelling and damage, and what worsens or improves symptoms.

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*Hospitalization is a significant risk factor for gout flares in people already diagnosed with gout.

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For More Information Related to Fibromyalgia Visit below sites:

References:

Fibromyalgia Contact Us Directly

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Official Fibromyalgia Blogs

Click here to Get the latest Chronic illness Updates

Fibromyalgia Stores

Click here to Visit Fibromyalgia Store

04/06/2021
Discovery could eventually help diagnose and treat chronic pain

More than 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain. But treating and studying chronic pain is complex and presents many challenges. Scientists have long searched for a method to objectively measure pain and a new study from Brigham and Women’s Hospital advances that effort. The study appears in the January 2013 print edition of the journal Pain.

“While we need to be cautious in the interpretation of our results, this has the potential to be an exciting discovery for anyone who suffers from chronic pain,” said Marco Loggia, PhD, the lead author of the study and a researcher in the Pain Management Center at BWH and the Department of Radiology at Massachusetts General Hospital. “We showed that specific brain patterns appear to track the severity of pain reported by patients, and can predict who is more likely to experience a worsening of chronic back pain while performing maneuvers designed to induce pain. If further research shows this metric is reliable, this is a step toward developing an objective scale for measuring pain in humans.”

Specifically, researchers studied 16 adults with chronic back pain and 16 adults without pain and used a brain imaging technique called arterial spin labeling to examine patterns of brain connectivity (that is, to examine how different brain regions interact, or “talk to each other”). They found that when a patient moved in a way that increased their back pain, a network of brain regions called Default Mode Network exhibited changes in its connections. Regions within the network (such as the medial prefrontal cortex) became less connected with the rest of the network, whereas regions outside the network (such as the insula) became connected with this network. Some of these observations have been noted in previous studies of fibromyalgia patients, which suggests these changes in brain connectivity might reflect a general feature of chronic pain, possibly common to different patient populations.

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“This is the first study using arterial spin labeling to show common networking properties of the brain are affected by chronic pain,” said study author Ajay Wasan, MD, MSc, Director of the Section of Clinical Pain Research at BWH. “This novel research supports the use of arterial spin labeling as a tool to evaluate how the brain encodes and is affected by clinical pain, and the use of resting default mode network connectivity as a potential neuroimaging biomarker for chronic pain perception.”

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For More Information Related to Fibromyalgia Visit below sites:

References:

Fibromyalgia Contact Us Directly

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Official Fibromyalgia Blogs

Click here to Get the latest Chronic illness Updates

Fibromyalgia Stores

Click here to Visit Fibromyalgia Store

04/06/2021
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 intercourse, exercise and even sitting unbearable.

New research now shows that women with this painful vaginal condition known as vulvodynia are two to three times more likely to also have one or more other chronic pain conditions, including irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia (musculoskeletal pain) and interstitial cystitis (bladder pain).

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These increasingly prevalent chronic pain conditions are known to be underdiagnosed — and the new data sheds more light on how they may also be related, according the University of Michigan Health System study that was published in Obstetrics & Gynecology.

“Millions of people in the U.S. have chronic pain. This report stresses the need to further study relationships between these types of disorders to help understand common patterns and shared features,” says lead author Barbara D. Reed, M.D., M.S.P.H., professor of family medicine at the U-M Medical School.

“Chronic pain conditions like these can seriously hamper quality of life and it’s imperative that we understand the commonality among them. Results we see in any studies related to one of the conditions, such as regarding etiology, physiology, or treatment, may be relevant to any of others.”

Other studies show that chronic pain conditions are much more prevalent than previously estimated, and there has been growing interest in understanding the patterns of co-occurrence, Reed says.

“Women who have these disorders often see physicians but are not given a diagnosis or are given an erroneous diagnosis and continue to suffer without being treated properly,” Reed says. “Until their symptoms have a name, it can be really discouraging because patients begin thinking it’s all in their head.

“Chronic pain is starting to get a lot more attention, with more research being done on all of these disorders, as well as combinations of these disorders. I think the identification and treatment of these conditions will continue to improve.”

Authors used data from the six-month follow-up survey of the Michigan Woman to Woman study, a population-based cohort of 2,500 adult women in southeast Michigan. An original study found that more than 25 percent of surveyed women in the metro Detroit area have experienced ongoing vulvar pain at some point in their lives but only 2 percent ever sought treatment for their pain.

Additional Authors: Besides Reed, authors include Siobán D. Harlow, Ph.D., Ananda Sen, Ph.D., Rayna M. Edwards, MPH, Di Chen, MPH, and Hope K. Haefner, M.D.

Funding: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, of the National Institute of Health

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04/06/2021
Role of impaired sleep in fibromyalgia pain explored

Patients coping with the complex pain disorder fibromyalgia often have difficulty sleeping, and a new study published in The Journal of Pain reports that despite the negative quality of life implications, poor sleep is not a significant predictor of fibromyalgia pain intensity and duration.

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The complexity of fibromyalgia as a pain disorder is rooted in the variable, patient-to-patient, influence of physical, psychological, social factors that contribute to clinical pain, and their influence often is difficult to understand. Previous research has shown that variables such as negative mood and the number of localized pain areas are significant predictors of clinical pain in fibromyalgia patients.

Many fibromyalgia patients complain about poor sleep, and studies have shown that interrupted sleep experienced by individuals with other pain conditions is predictive of next day clinical pain. Also, sleep duration has been shown to predict clinical pain in healthy adults. For this study, a research team from the University of Florida hypothesized that decreased total sleep time would predict higher clinical pain in a sample of patients with fibromyalgia.

Seventy-four adults with fibromyalgia were recruited for a University of Florida study and they were observed for 14 days. Subjects rated their clinical pain every evening and completed sleep diaries describing the previous night’s sleep.

Results of the analysis showed that four sleep measures evaluated in the study failed to significantly predict clinical pain. The authors noted that the effects of impaired sleep, such as fatigue and inactivity, may play more significant roles in clinical pain than measures of sleep duration or insomnia.

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04/06/2021