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Tag: fibromyalgia diagnosis

Learn how Fibromyalgia is diagnosed, including key symptoms, diagnostic criteria, and the tests used to rule out other conditions.

  • Fibromyalgia and Costochondritis Based on Researches

    Fibromyalgia and Costochondritis Based on Researches

    Fibromyalgia and Costochondritis are two conditions that often go hand in hand with each other. Over the years we have lost count of the number of clients who were plagued with the hallmark sharp stabbing pains, that often come with Costochondritis. Within this topic are many questions, most of which become a whole lot harder to answer when we factor In Fibromyalgia.

    There are many people in the general population who have Costochondritis, it’s not just another issue that comes along with Fibromyalgia. However, as we will come to find when we take a look at some of the research, Costochondritis does seem to be far more prevalent in those with Fibromyalgia.

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    What is Costochondritis?

    Costochondritis is the term given to inflammation of the cartilage that joins your ribs to your breastbone, also known as the costochondral joint. Inflammation is a natural response to illness or injury, it’s essentially the immune system’s response to help initiate the healing process, in other words, it is a defence mechanism that is vital to our survival. 

    Whilst Inflammation is one of the body’s greatest tools, it doesn’t feel all that great when it does happen. After all, the point of inflammation is healing, and this means that more blood is redirected to the area, tissues become more permeable to allow increased blood flow and nutrients to the areas, and the nerves in the surrounding areas become a whole lot more sensitive. If you have ever had a paper cut you will know exactly what I mean. For such a small cut, it sure does impact your day to day activities.

    With Costochondritis, the costochondral cartilage, which connects your ribs to your breastbone, and surrounding tissue can become inflamed, making it tender and unpleasant when pressure is applied, and in most cases, simply from breathing or even moving.

    Symptoms of Costochondritis

    The obvious leading symptom is chest pain, typically it is described as a sharp or stabbing pain, and sometimes it is described as more of a dull ache which often becomes worse when moving or exerting the chest muscles. This can also include breathing, which can cause an increase in pain with large breaths. Many people find that even the slightest touch or pressure around the sternum and ribs can fire off a pain response, as the nerve becomes more and more sensitive due to the inflammatory response.

    The most commonly reported pain from Costochondritis can be found in the sternum, around the 4th-6th ribs. However, as the inflammation increases, it’s not uncommon for the pain to begin to spread.

    Does Costochondritis cause fatigue?

    A question we hear a lot of is “Does Costochondritis cause fatigue?”

    Again, this question takes a little research and some critical thinking to answer. There are some good studies that show us that there is a pretty strong connection between fatigue and Rheumatic conditions in general.  In one study of patients with different rheumatic conditions, there was found a  54% prevalence of fatigue for those with a single inflammatory rheumatic disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, or ankylosing spondylitis. However, this prevalence shot up to 82% for those with Fibromyalgia. In essence, from this and multiple other studies, one out of every two patients with a rheumatic disease seems to be severely fatigued.

    On one side of the coin, there are many folk in the general population who do have Costochondritis but report minimal fatigue. And on the other side of the coin, we have those with fibromyalgia and Costochondritis, who report major fatigue associated with it. It’s unlikely that costochondritis directly causes fatigue, as both those with fibromyalgia and without it would be affected. However, that does not mean that it does not indirectly cause fatigue.

    If you ask anyone with chronic pain about sleep, they will tell you that it’s incredibly difficult to get a good nights sleep when you are in pain. And one of the hallmark symptoms of sleep disturbances and deprivations is fatigue. Therefore, it’s not such a huge leap to assume that someone with Costochondritis, or Fibromyalgia and Costochondritis, would experience fatigue as an indirect result of being unable to sleep properly due to being in pain.

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    Likewise, many people with Fibromyalgia, often learn and develop certain coping skills for sleeping when it comes to dealing with the pain of Fibromyalgia. It’s very likely that due to differences in the pain experience, Costochondritis may cause undue stress and anxiety which could disrupt sleep also. Pain from Costochondritis is very hallmarked, it’s sharp, disruptive, and can often make people wonder if there is something wrong with their heart. Therefore, many people with Fibromyalgia and Costochondritis may struggle to sleep due to the new pain that comes from Costochondritis.

    Is there a connection between Fibromyalgia and Costochondritis 

    When living with Fibromyalgia, it is often hard to distinguish what pain comes from which issue. Many people have gone to their doctors with legitimate concerns, only for those concerns to be passed off as just another Fibro symptom.

    One example of this is from a consultation we had here at chronicillness.co, some years back. A young woman had been suffering from severe headaches and every time she went back to the doctors it was promptly put down as caused by Fibromyalgia. However, at her consultation with us, and after going through her history, it was blatant that this young woman had Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. What also stood out was that her headaches were immediately cut in severity when she lay down. Suspecting a Cerebrospinal fluid leak we quickly referred her to her local hospital. And low and behold, it was indeed a spinal fluid leak. After a blood patch, and bed rest to closely monitor for leak recurrence, she recovered after around 6 weeks and has never had another headache since.

    We have many stories from over the years just like this one, but the point to take is that you should never put new symptoms down to Fibromyalgia.

    While working with our clients in the studio, it’s really not uncommon for us to get the “Is my Costochondritis and Fibromyalgia related?” question. And this is a good question, anecdotally you probably know a whole host of individuals with Fibromyalgia and Costochondritis, but are they related.

    When looking at the evidence on this topic, it becomes more clear that they are likely linked, as the prevalence of patients with Fibromyalgia who also have non-cardiac chest pain is far higher than in the general population. In a study conducted in 2016 that looked at symptoms of people with Fibromyalgia, across 4 groups it was found that on average, 29.1% of the 313 participants either currently or previously had Costochondritis. And when compared to the general population, it was found that chest pain in primary care it only accounted for 13%. 

    In an overview of symptoms of patients hospitalised in the US between 1999-2007, there were over 1.7 million people during this time with Fibromyalgia, of those patients, 10% presented with non-specific chest pain (around 170,000 people). While this is closer to the general population we have to remember that these were only the ones who felt the pain was bad enough to go to the hospital, and its worth remembering that when living with Fibromyalgia, it tends to take a much higher level of pain before seeking medical intervention due to living in pain being accepted as normal. 

    There may well be a few reasons why are more commonly found together:

    1. Sleep
      If the last few decades of research into sleep and pain have taught us anything, it’s that with lack of sleep comes a prevalence for more pain. Sleep disruptions lead to hyperalgesia pain changes, which means that your brain becomes far more responsive to noxious stimuli, lowering the pain threshold, and even going as far as to impact our own bodies’ ability to realise pain-killing chemicals. For those with Fibromyalgia, sleep is most often a major issue. Therefore, an activity that would not normally be deemed as strenuous, may become strenuous for someone with Fibromyalgia, and could potential lead to the development of Costochondritis, due to inflammatory responses from strenuous activity or movement.
    2. Guarding response
      For those in pain, it’s really not uncommon to find them adopting postures to make the pain more bearable. Whilst this may help in the short term, over time staying in any one position can become painful. In the instance of Costochondritis, it’s not a far reach to assume that putting prolonged strain on the costochondral joints and cartilage, could potentially cause an inflammatory response causing Costochondritis for those with Fibromyalgia.
    3. Lack of activity
      The decrease in activity levels amongst those with Fibromyalgia, as well as being in pain, can lead to sensitisation which lowers tissue tolerance to stress before an inflammatory response is deemed necessary. For tissue to be healthy, we need to move, and for those with Fibromyalgia, this can often be an issue. This gives us another potential reason for a link between Fibromylagia and Costochondritis.
    4. Hypermobility
      It has been shown in a number of studies that there is a link between hypermobility and Fibromyalgia. One study showed that 46.6% of the Fibromyalgia patients participating, scored at least 4 or more on the Beighton scoring system (A method used to determine hypermobility), compared to 28.8% of the control group. When we look deeper at the connection between Fibromyalgia and Hypermobility, the issues surrounding chest pain and Fibromyalgia can be further explained.The high prevalence of misdiagnosis in the hypermobile population, most likely contributes to the increase of those with Fibromyalgia experiencing inflammation of the chest. A common symptom surrounding hypermobility, is that of joint subluxation/dislocation, due to the genetic make-up of collagen. And a common issue associated with this is rib subluxation. We wrote an article around hypermobility rib subluxation earlier this year, which you can find here. Hypermobility may account for the prevalence of Costochondritis in the Fibromyalgia population, as slipping rib syndrome is pain from inflammation of the cartilage that.

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    Fibromyalgia Chest Pain

    Chest pain can be terrifying when it happens, it can even be severe enough to mimic the symptoms of a heart attack. I remember when I had my first experience of this, I actually thought I was dying and it wasn’t until I was in the hospital, that I found out that I was fine. But, none the less it was a pretty scary experience, as I couldn’t breathe properly because of the pain, and it felt like a tight band around my chest.

    The good news though, is that Costochondritis is it is not cardiac related, so it isn’t related to the heart. When there is inflammation in the chest this often leads to shortness of breath, due to us trying to breathe in a more limited fashion to reduce the pressure on the chest. This change in our respiration will often lead to us not taking in as much oxygen as we normally would, and can leave us feeling like we can’t breathe and panicked. But, again, Costochondritis is it is not cardiac related.

    Can Fibromyalgia make Costochondritis worse? 

    Living with Fibromyalgia is bad enough, but when adding Costochondritis to the mix it can seem a whole lot worse. But can Fibromyalgia make Costochondritis worse?

    Fibromyalgia often leads to central and peripheral sensitization where nerves are a lot more sensitive to noxious stimuli, so it will take less pressure on the chest before these nerves fire and alert the brain of a potentially dangerous stimulus. This would make it feel a lot more tender to the touch than it should normally be. Think of a turn dial that usually likes to sit at 1-3 unless something is wrong (like inflammation) and is then turned up when there is an issue. With Fibromyalgia though, the dial is already sitting at 7, so when a potential threat is noticed this can turn it up to 10. This can result in more painful sensations than are usually warranted. So, given what we know about the current pain mechanisms, having fibromyalgia is likely to make having Costochondritis worse than it would be for someone without fibro.

    Treating Costochondritis or Fibromyalgia chest pain 

    Your first port of call when it comes to Fibromyalgia and Costochondritis should be your doctor. Anti-inflammatories will help to deal with a lot of the pain from Costochondritis, but this isn’t a long term solution. As we previously mentioned, having a healthy and happy rib cage means that it needs to be able to move freely, so this should be your second port of call: focusing on relearning to move your ribs.

    We would also suggest that you check to make sure that you are indeed not Hypermobile and that the pain doesn’t arise from a rib subluxation.

    https://fibromyalgia-6.creator-spring.com/
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    Click Here to Visit the Store and find Much More….

    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

  • Fibromyalgia and Osteoarthritis Based on Researches

    We often get asked about Fibromyalgia and Osteoarthritis from our clients, because more often than not, they have been told numerous scary stories by consultants. Likewise, many of the people we speak to have read many articles online, that are laden with misinformation. Osteoarthritis as a whole, gest a bit of a bad reputation, despite being completely normal and inevitable.

    In fact, even the name Osteoarthritis is somewhat of a misnomer, as “Osteo” means bone,”‘Arth” means joint, and “Itis” means inflammation. And when we realise that Osteoarthritis is a degenerative condition, not an inflammatory one, we can start to see why there is likely so much misinformation around fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis, especially considering it’s not even named correctly!

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    For those of you reading, we can appreciate that having more labels attached to you can be a scary thing. A lot of the time people have only just gotten used to and accepted the Fibromyalgia label, before being hit with another in the form of osteoarthritis. Unfortunately, for most people, a quick google of Fibromyalgia and Osteoarthritis brings up many horror stories and a tonne of misinformation.  This misinformation has the potential to not only make your pain worse, but ultimately make your world smaller and smaller as you inevitably try to protect yourself more and more over time.

    So, in the following article let’s take a look at a few things that we should know about when it comes to Fibromyalgia and Osteoarthritis.

    What is Osteoarthritis?

    Osteoarthritis is defined as “Degeneration of the joint cartilage and underlying bones, usually accompanied by pain and stiffness, and most commonly found in the hips, knees and thumb joints.”

    In a healthy joint, a coating of tough but smooth called cartilage covers and protects the surface of the bones, helping them to move freely against each other. However, when a joint develops osteoarthritis, part of the cartilage thins and the surface becomes rougher. This means the joint doesn’t move as smoothly as it should, causing the protective cartilage on the ends of your bones breaks down, potentially causing pain, swelling and problems moving the joint. When cartilage becomes worn or damaged, all the tissues within the joint become more active than normal, as the body tries to repair the damage. This can result in swelling and inflammation of the joint.

    As we mentioned earlier, Osteoarthritis isn’t really properly named, because whilst there can be inflammation present, it’s the degeneration that defines it. After all. we already have a name for inflammatory arthritis which we call Rheumatoid arthritis.

    There is a good chance you are reading this because you have Fibromyalgia and Osteoarthritis, and you want to know if they will affect one another. Well, having fibromyalgia does change a few things when it comes to osteoarthritis, but it’s mainly not anything to do with the actual tissues, and don’t worry, we will cover these other factors in this article. But, before we get into how Fibromyalgia may affect osteoarthritis, let’s start with a question that’s a little easier to answer for: why do we get Osteoarthritis in the first place?

    Why do we get Osteoarthritis?

    As we age our bodies incur wear and tear from just being alive. Our hair grows thin and turns grey, our skin thins, and we developed wrinkles. It is essentially just part of the human condition, and just as we degenerate on the outside of our bodies, we also degenerate on the inside.

    Ask yourself this question: Do wrinkles hurt?”

    No, they don’t, well not physically anyway. Anti-wrinkle cream is a multi-million-pound industry, so it’s evident that wrinkles do cause some emotional distress for the majority of us!

    So then, if degeneration on the outside of the body doesn’t cause us any pain, then why would degeneration on the inside cause it?

    Keep in mind also, that we are way more sensitive to changes on the outside of the body than we are on the inside. There are a great many people right now, with very severe degeneration, who have absolutely no pain. Likewise, there are also people with very little osteoarthritis, who are in a great deal of pain. Before we get into the complexities that is Fibromyalgia and Osteoarthritis, it’s important to remember that this wear and tear is a normal part of ageing. In fact, in the next section, let’s take a look at a few studies that show us that normal wear and tear can actually be painless or not correlate to damage.

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    Some people have pain, whilst others don’t

    As we mentioned before, there is a lot of misinformation around Osteoarthritis, and probably even more around Fibromyalgia. So, let’s take a look at some studies and start to break down those damaging narratives that you have likely been told or have read.

    One study focusing on professional football players found that 92% of football players had at least 1 spinal degenerative condition, but in some cases, more than 6 were found. The interesting thing was that none of them reported any pain. This is a nice study that helps us look at the complexities of pain, as when it comes to chronic pain it isn’t always about the tissue.

    There is a ridiculous amount of evidence that shows us that pain is not tightly linked to tissue damage. And when it comes to Osteoarthritis, there should also be evidence of people with severe degeneration shown on a scan, but who feel fine, and vice versa. This study of 113 people found exactly that, a huge disconnect between degeneration and pain. In which they found that the people with less degeneration had more pain, and those with more degeneration had less pain!

    It kind of changes your opinion on some of the stuff you have been told doesn’t it.

    Another study looking at the general population, wherein the focus was on the difference between structural changes in the knees and symptoms, found that there isn’t a great connection between the severity of the condition and pain. However, they did find that the symptomatic group had a slower walking speed, longer stride and standing times and reduced strength. Which, when you think about it, makes complete sense. If you are in pain it’s unlikely that you’re going to be moving quickly, but rather taking your time in an effort to not increase pain levels.

    That was the only real difference that this study found between those with Osteoarthritis who had pain and those with it who had no pain. Keep in mind also, that another study found that cartilage defects were found in around 11% of those under the age of 40 who had no pain. This percentage jumped to 43% for those over the age of 40, but still without pain. As you can start to see, that actual amount of degeneration doesn’t really correlate with the amount of pain you would expect someone to have.

    In this study, it wasn’t just the cartilage they focused on, but also tissue. There were instances of meniscal tears in up to 19% of the study, bone marrow lesions and even bone spurs were present in 12-24%. I think a good place to end this section is to look at a study from 20 years ago, that will really challenge your beliefs about osteoarthritis and pain.

    This study showed that people who received a fake arthroscopic knee surgery for Osteoarthritis had results just as good as people who received the real surgery. And in 2008, the New England Journal of Medicine added more experimental evidence to the pile, reporting that “surgery for osteoarthritis of the knee provides no additional benefit to optimized physical and medical therapy.”

    In the years to follow, there has been an exceptional level of evidence showing that arthroscopic debridement has no benefit, showing that it is no better than a placebo.

    Where does the pain of Osteoarthritis come from then?

    We have established that the amount of Osteoarthritis doesn’t really correlate with the amount of pain a person experiences. So what is going on then if it’s not about the actual degeneration?  Well, this is where Fibromyalgia can start to make things a little bit more complicated.

    When we look at the pain and symptom severity of Osteoarthritis, historically, cartilage damage was believed to be the hallmark of Osteoarthritis. However, since cartilage is an avascular, aneural tissue, the mechanisms of pain are likely to be way more complex than first thought, and most likely influenced by non-cartilaginous structures in the joint including the synovium. The current body of evidence points to pain sensitization, and molecular pathways, as the possible main driver of Osteoarthritis pain.

    Like we said before, when it comes to chronic pain, it’s not always about the tissue. We know chronic pain changes the brain and nervous system, causing the brain to take note of inputs that it really shouldn’t be. Hence why so many with conditions like Fibromyalgia often developed other conditions such as allodynia.

    Can you have Fibromyalgia and Osteoarthritis?

    The Simple answer is yes, it is more common than you think, in fact when you are going through all the tests to get your Fibromyalgia diagnosed, you’ll most likely be told about degeneration somewhere in the body.

    Both diagnoses have overlapping symptoms such as pain, stiffness, and limited range of motion. It’s also not just Osteoarthritis and Fibromyalgia, but other rheumatic conditions. One study showed that between 20-30% of those diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, also had co-morbid rheumatic conditions. When we look at the data for just Osteoarthritis, we find that between 10% – 17% of those living with Fibromyalgia also have Osteoarthritis 

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    Does Fibromyalgia make Osteoarthritis worse?

    As we mentioned earlier, Fibromyalgia does indeed have the potential to complicate Osteoarthritis.

    Those with Fibromyalgia suffer from abnormalities in the way that the brain deals with pain. Supraspinal processes have a top-down enhancing effect on nociceptive processing in the brain and spinal cord. Studies have begun to suggest that such influences occur in conditions such as fibromyalgia. This means that those who do have Fibromyalgia may be far more sensitive to noxious stimuli compared to the general population. Factoring in changes at the joint, those with Fibromyalgia may be more prone to reacting to these changes byways of producing pain.

    There have been a few studies that have looked into how Fibromyalgia may affect Osteoarthritis. One such study published in the European Journal of Neuroscience, measured brainwaves in response to short painful laser pulses on the skin of patients suffering from osteoarthritic and fibromyalgia pain, as well as test subjects who had no underlying pain. Scientists discovered that the insula cortex part of the brain increased its activity when expecting a painful pulse, as it predicts the extent and intensity of the patients’ own chronic pain.

    It is important to keep in mind, that increased activity in this brain area has been linked to a number of phenomena, including body perception and emotional processing, which might explain the greater pain perception in some patients.

    In essence, there are a lot of factors that come with fibromyalgia that can make osteoarthritis worse, when compared to individuals without it. One such factor is sleep disturbances. It is well documented that with sleep disturbances and lack of sleep, comes an increase in pain. For those with Fibromyalgia, getting a good, restful night’s sleep can be somewhat of a challenge due to pain. Meaning that it has the potential to create a breeding ground for worsening the symptoms of not just fibromyalgia pain, but also the pain of Osteoarthritis.

    With chronic pain, also comes the prevalence of mental health issues, which can also make symptoms worse. It is well established that mental health issues can be a large driving force behind chronic pain. And for those with Fibromyalgia, they may be more prone to experiencing pain with Osteoarthritis, whereas those without fibromyalgia may likely not even notice these degenerative changes.

    What treatments help Fibromyalgia and Osteoarthritis?

    We have taken a look at what Osteoarthritis is, how it’s caused, and how Fibromyalgia may affect it. All that is left now is to look at some of the things that can help you when it comes to Fibromyalgia and Osteoarthritis.

    Massage
    It has been shown that massage can be particularly effective at lowering pain in osteoarthritis and Fibromyalgia. An analysis of 9 studies found that massage helped to improve pain, anxiety, and depression associated with Fibromyalgia.

    Gentle aerobic exercise
    This has shown benefits for Fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis. And both studies showed a reduction in pain.

    Stay hydrated
    It is estimated that around 70% of your cartilage is made up of water, and when we are dehydrated this is going to affect the joints, as the more lubricated a joint is, the less friction there will be. This is important when we remember the studies into those with Fibromyalgia being more sensitive to noxious stimuli. We want to reduce the amount of noxious stimulus coming into the nervous system.

    Cold showers
    The benefits of cold showing with Fibromyalgia can be found in a comprehensive blog post we wrote, which you can find here. The benefits of cold showering with Osteoarthritis can help by reducing pain, decreasing swelling, and constricting blood vessels.

    We hope the above has helped to answer the questions you have about Fibromyalgia and Osteoarthritis, and we wish you the best of luck on your journey.

    https://fibromyalgia-6.creator-spring.com/
    https://www.teepublic.com/stores/fibromyalgia-store

    Click Here to Visit the Store and find Much More….

    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

  • Hypermobility Knee Exercises Based on Researches

    People generally have some issues with the specific hypermobility knee exercises that are currently out there. They either don’t work or they yield very little results. This is largely due to the simple fact that the current treatment around exercises for those with hypermobility, are built on a false premise and simply do not take into account the nuances that come with this population.

    The gold standard at the moment for hypermobile knee exercises, and indeed any exercise for those with hypermobility, seems to be the old “build muscle around the joint to help stabilise it” approach.

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    This old outdated approach that has seen many hypermobile people simply lose interest in, after seeing it return such little results, comes with 2 main issues. Issues that most people don’t really talk about.

    1. Building muscle requires sufficient load and consistency to do so. How is anyone with unstable joints supposed to use such load required to build muscle and not get injured?
    2. Muscle gains are slow. If we use women as an example, and whilst ensuring that training and diet are on point, we could expect to see around a 10lb gain in muscle mass over the course of a year. However, there are no studies that follow muscle gain in those with hypermobility. So how much muscle are we supposed to add to create stable joints: 5lb, 25lb? and how are we supposed to even add muscle tissue when we can’t handle the load required to build muscles in the first place?

    There are also other issues, such as why do women with high muscle mass still dislocate, whilst others with less muscle mass dislocate less?

    The current treatment seems to fall apart somewhat when we start to question it. No wonder this current treatment has caused so much distress and gaslighting to those with hypermobility when it doesn’t even make any sense. We have seen so many people in the studio who have all reported the same thing, they did their physio, it didn’t work, and they were blamed for not trying hard enough.

    What’s needed in a hypermobile knee exercise?

    In order to stabilise a joint, a few key points need to be met:

    1. You need a tactile cue to light up the areas of the brain dedicated to the knee ( Like KT tape or a band), in order to connect to the tissue.
    2. The load needs to be used in a closed chain fashion.
    3. Specific mapping techniques need to be used to detail those cortical maps and give control over the joint again.
    4. Load needs to be increased over time to ensure tissue tolerance goes up.
    5. And for detailing of the cortical maps for long term (tactile cues are only temporary) you need coding pattern techniques (chat to one of the team)

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    Many people have used many different forms of exercise to help stabilises hypermobile knees, and whilst we often see swimming or hydrotherapy as a form of great exercise, please remember there are issues with these.

    We live on land and we need to be able to deal with the various forces that enact upon us. Whilst swimming can be a great form of cardiovascular exercise, it is not doing a great deal in the form of stabilising our joints, and it takes away the loading forces that will help up in the long run, which can decondition us further.

    There is also an issue with the use of hydrotherapy, those 39-degree waters will vasodilate our blood vessels, forcing our hearts to work harder to pump blood around, as well as causing blood pooling,  potentially making us dizzy and faint. Which is not want we want when we are in a large body of water.

    Load is a crucial part of stabilising joints, however, it needs to be the right form of load. Open chain exercises such as the leg extension machine you would find at any gym, are a good example of bad load, putting large leverage forces through tissue, which those of us with hypermobility can not properly handle(yet).

    A good hypermobile knee exercise needs to be transferable to everyday life, meaning the benefits of it cross over to other movements and other activities.

    There seems to be much demand for a simple and effective hypermobility knee exercise. So, below you can find one of our favourite hypermobility knee exercises, which is aimed at helping those with hypermobility and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, by addressing some of the real issues that need to be addressed.

    Keep in mind, that a large problem with hypermobility exercises, in general, is that individuals tend to have trouble contracting the right tissues or even feeling the muscle they are exercising in the first place. This is why a tactile cue, used with a closed chain exercise, is a great way to train the tissue and your brain, in an exercise that is transferable to everyday life.

    For this type of exercise, it is far better to use time, rather than sets and repetitions. You can start off performing this exercise for up to 1 minute twice per day, and spend the next 3 weeks trying to get up to a total of 4 minutes.

    https://fibromyalgia-6.creator-spring.com/
    https://www.teepublic.com/stores/fibromyalgia-store

    Click Here to Visit the Store and find Much More….

    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

  • Fibromyalgia Headaches Based on Researches

    Headaches are one of the hallmark symptoms of living with Fibromyalgia. Headaches can be debilitating and make everyday life seem almost impossible. But what is a Fibromyalgia headache and is the mystery surrounding them accurate?

    In this blog we’ll take a look at the following: 

    • What is a Fibro headache (and what it is not) 
    • Why Fibro headaches occur
    • Fibromyalgia headaches from medication
    • How to get rid of a Fibro headache
    • Life after headaches: Recovery stories

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    It’s no secret that many of our new Fibromyalgia clients, both online and in studio, suffer headaches that disrupt their daily life. By the end of a programmed their headaches are either completely gone or reduced so much they’re almost unnoticeable. There is one key part of a programmed that all of our Fibromyalgia clients must go through; Understanding what Fibro is, but more importantly, what Fibro is not! 

    Take a look at the Fibromyalgia recovery stories we regularly post to our page and many will say the same thing: the programme is hard! But not in the way you might think. Let’s take an inside look at how our clients get rid of their headaches and how they get their Fibromyalgia success stories. 

    What is a Fibro Headache (And What it is Not) 

    One important thing to realize when it comes to Fibromyalgia headaches is that Fibromyalgia does not cause headaches, for one simple reason: Fibromyalgia is not a clear cut pathology.

    Fibromyalgia is a culturally adopted label that we use to describe a common set of symptoms that appear together. Hence the name Fibromyalgia “Syndrome”. A syndrome being a group of symptoms. In my opinion, as a Fibromyalgia specialist, the hardest part of any recovery is objectively looking at our own understanding of Fibro and our circumstances. It is incredibly difficult to change our understanding when there is so much information available that states the contrary. This bad info usually comes from Doctors, Physiotherapists and other reputable healthcare professionals. Throw Google in the mix and the outlook on Fibromyalgia can be a gloomy one. 

    It is incredibly easy to believe information that is freely available but is not actually correct. For example, have you heard of the following? 

    • Goldfish have a 3-5 second memory? (Not true!)
    • Bulls are angered by the colour Red (Bulls don’t have the colour receptors to see Red)
    • The evil queen from Snow White…what does she say to the mirror on the wall? (Go ahead Google it, it ain’t “mirror mirror on the wall”) 

    Keep in mind that until very recently (1967) women were not allowed to enter Marathons as it was thought their wombs would fall out! It is no different with Fibromyalgia. There is an abundance of really bad info which simply is not correct. The first step of a programme involves breaking down the Fibro label. When you understand what Fibro is, the whole process becomes so much easier. So let’s take a look and prepare for some against the grain advice and support…

    Fibromyalgia is a culturally adopted label for a set of symptoms with no known cause. It is usually diagnosed via a process of elimination. Once all of the “red flag” nasties have been ruled out, a diagnosis of Fibromyalgia is given and we’re put in a box and forgotten about. Been there, done it, got the T-shirt! We are then left to fumble in the dark without any understanding of what’s happening or hope of getting better. 

    Sound familiar?

    Many of our previous and current clients experience the same thing. So bearing in mind Fibromyalgia has no pathological cause (no blood markers, no imaging findings, no sample findings, no diet findings.) Can there be headaches caused by Fibro?

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    Can There Be Such a Thing as a Fibromyalgia Headache?

    The National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) and the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD) do not recognise Fibro as a cause of headaches.

    And this is where most people struggle. The headaches and pain are very real. I’ve personally had pain dismissed as “all in your head” with the age-old advice of “try some meditation or Yoga.” If it was that easy none of us would need help. If we can change our understanding of Fibromyalgia from a disease to a syndrome we stand a much better chance of recovery. 

    So what is a syndrome? Well, it’s a common set of symptoms that group together with no known cause. Some common Fibromyalgia symptoms are: 

    If you can change your outlook on Fibro, then recovery is possible. If not, people enter a never ending cycle of trying all kinds of different treatments then accepting life as it is. At this point, things only get worse. Please don’t be one of those people!

    A few paragraphs back I mentioned NICE & ICHD do not recognise Fibromyalgia as a cause of headaches. Having worked with the Fibromyalgia community for several years now, I’ve noticed there are several types of headaches that are prevalent and also recognised by the ICHD. These are: 

    A very common scenario we see in studio or online is people suffering from one of the above headaches which have been passed off as a “Fibro headache.” This can pose a lot of problems, the main one being you will not receive the proper care for your headaches if they are simply passed off as being caused by Fibromyalgia.

    So Why Are We So Prone to Headaches When We Have Fibromyalgia? 

    It comes as no surprise that if you are in pain, stressed out, and unable to partake in the life you want to live, headaches are most likely going to occur. Let’s look at the cold hard facts of the common headaches we see frequently.

    Tension-Type Headaches and Fibromyalgia

    If you are reading this then you likely know what comes with a tension-type headache (TTH):

    • Dull, aching head pain
    • The sensation of tightness or pressure across the forehead or on the sides and back of the head
    • Tenderness in the scalp, neck and shoulder muscles

    A Tension-type headache is a diagnosis of exclusion, a catch-all term used to describe a headache that isn’t a migraine. It is a pretty vague term.

    Whilst the etiology of TTH is thought to be multifactorial, involving genetic and environmental factors, the most common theory supports a heightened sensitivity to pain in people who have tension-type headaches. Increased muscle tenderness, a common symptom of tension-type headaches, may result from a sensitised pain system. Hmmm…. sounds a lot like the people diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, doesn’t it? When diagnosed with Fibro, moving can be an absolute nightmare. The threat of a flare-up can all but make us a hermit. This lack of movement and a sensitised system may be a large contributing factor in causing tension-type headaches. We know that stress and anxiety naturally cause us to tighten up which throws further fuel on the fire.

     Fibromyalgia Headaches and Medication

    Fibromyalgia headaches can also come with a cocktail of meds. GABA drugs, amitriptyline drugs and opioids like Tramadol amongst others like Codeine/Morphine. Starting a course of these drugs can cause horrific headaches and cognitive impairment (brain fog). Do you feel like a zombie after taking Tramadol or Pregabalin? I certainly did and I was still in pain! Getting off meds is just as bad.

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     Probably the most guilty of this are the GABA drugs; Pregabalin and Gabapentin. A little known fact about these drugs which shocks a lot of our clients (it may shock you too!) is they are primarily used an anti-epileptic drug. In other words, they dampen activity in the brain. Check out the NHS & BNF descriptions of Pregabalin and see for yourself its uses and side effects (Spoiler; It’s headaches amongst other nasty stuff) No wonder we feel like a zombie!

    The secondary use is for nerve pain. So if you’re an epileptic with nerve pain, this is the drug for you. If you suffer from chronic pain, this drug is may contribute to the problems of brain fog and headaches. When our clients lay their Foundations and start to see results, we then start to have them dose down their meds with their doctor when they realise it’s doing them no favours. 

    Migraines and Fibromyalgia

    Migraines are another common finding with Fibro. Some people have true migraines, others have a lacklustre diagnosis after seeing a GP several times with previous headaches. You may then be prescribed a drug like Amitriptyline or Sumotriptan and left to it. If these drugs help your headaches, then it is likely that you are suffering from a true migraine. However, if they don’t, they may be contributing further to your headaches. These drugs are also guilty of causing incredible jaw stiffness, which can further add to the tension-type headache described earlier. Diagnosing migraines is a difficult business.

    Any good Doctor will give you a headache diary and compare it to the diagnostic criteria to come to the conclusion of a migraine. If you were given a migraine diagnosis after presenting with a headache, I’d consider reconsidering! It may be a simple fix and save you years of angst. 

    Dehydration Headache

    Another guilty party when deciphering the headache puzzle is the dehydration headache. It seems so simple and is often the first call to action when addressing headaches….How much water do you drink? Not orange juice, tea, coffee or pop, but clear tap or bottled water? For many, the answer will be incredibly low. Sometimes our brain needs to bathe in the liquid gold which is water. Ever had a hangover and a stinking headache? It takes time for it to go away and plenty of fluids. 

    Our NHS suggests we drink 6-8 glasses per day. That’s often a big ask for even the most active person. But I would trade off not having a headache for needing to pee any day of the week. 

    Conclusion

    When we look at the paragraphs above one thing is clear: Fibromyalgia does not cause headaches: because it’s a word and a label.

    People experience headaches for a variety of reasons. The reason headaches are so prevalent in those with Fibromyalgia is likely from the various biological, psychological and social stresses that come with being in pain. From a career of helping people with Fibromyalgia, I can tell you that headaches do not go until all of these stressors are either eliminated or mediated.

    It can be hard to follow the advice that is against the grain. Our clients are always tedious when it comes to headaches as they can be one of the worst experiences of chronic pain. It’s not easy to read and accept that Fibro is a culturally adopted label. You may have spent years being told it is an incurable disease and this is life now. 

    If you trust me on anything it should be this; Fibromyalgia doesn’t need to be your life. We post recovery stories on a regular basis of people just like you. People with debilitating pain, headaches and mobility problems. The only difference between you and them is the context in which chronic pain is viewed. For those that realise recovery is possible, it’s just around the corner. 

    We’re on a personal mission to lift the veil on Fibromyalgia and Fibromyalgia treatment. What we do has been shrouded in mystery for years but now we’re finally being recognised as the cultural authority on Fibromyalgia treatment and we want to help as many people as possible. 

    We’ve all been there and taking the plunge is scary. But it’s worth it.

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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

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  • Fibromyalgia pain: Issues with tissues?

    It’s not uncommon for those with Fibromyalgia pain to feel defeated following a doctors visit, as over the years pain has been somewhat of a blind spot for doctors, with most having a difficult time treating even the most common types of pain. In one study looking into this very topic, it was found that 82% of graduates lacked basic competency in this area, if you also factor Fibromyalgia pain into this equation, then it’s likely to get even more complicated.

    Let me start by saying that pain is a very real experience, it destroys lives and it certainly doesn’t discriminate who it chooses. However, much like what I just wrote, we tend to anthropomorphize pain. We assign negative human qualities to it, as at times it feels like it’s malicious in its very nature. I know that at the moment it may feel like it’s you versus your fibromyalgia pain, battling every day with this omnipotent foe, but the pain isn’t malicious. Pain is your brain trying to keep you safe, it doesn’t mean your body is damaged or that you are ready for a knackers yard, as some of my favorite clients have put it.

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    In the studio, we often find that one of the most prevalent fears around Fibromyalgia pain is that most believe it means they are damaged. However, if the last few years of research into pain has taught us anything, it’s that this statement is simply not true. In fact, most people with Fibromyalgia can attest to this, as after countless imagining and other tests, there is nothing seemingly wrong with their nerves, bones, or muscle.

    It is understandable as to why people can feel like pain does mean damage though, after all, pain is one of our most primal protective responses, and if it didn’t instil fear and force us to worry then it wouldn’t be of much use.

    Those with Fibromyalgia are subjected to multitudes of tests, including, blood tests, imaging, and nerve conduction test. However, as is often the case, those individuals are given a clean bill of health once those test results come back normal, despite still being in pain. As I mentioned before, after a plethora of tests to find the reason for your pain come back normal. it can easily leave people a little deflated. I can personally testify to this.

    After being diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, having tests conducted, and being told nothing is wrong, it leaves people wondering just what the hell is actually going on.

    A history of pain

    Pain is defined as: An unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with, or resembling that associated with, actual or potential tissue damage.

    The definition of pain has remained untouched for many years, but was finally updated in 2020 to add in “resembling that associated with”. Even after all these years we still seemingly struggle to define pain, and rightly so. Pain is ridiculously complex, and we will never truly understand it in its entirety, at least not until we can fully explain consciousness. And even then, we are most likely still going to struggle.

    The science of pain has come a long way since we first started to try to understand pain. So, before we get into this, let’s take a little history lesson on pain and see where we have come from, and where we are going.

    Aristotle (384 BC – 322 BC) pushed that pain was caused by evil spirits entering the body during injury, and because he was considered a fairly smart guy during his lifetime, his theories seemingly stuck around, for a very long time.

    Rene Descartes (1596 – 1650) introduced and eventually solidified the Cartesian Model of Pain (CMP) into history and ultimately medical science. The CMP explained pain as being created in the tissues that would send pain signals to the brain. Even in 2022, a plethora of medical treatments are still being used based on the CMP where people receive nerve blocks, have nerves burnt or are given cortisone injections in an attempt to relieve their pain. However, we now know this model, like many before, has pieces missing, yet is still largely practiced. Keep in mind also, that this theory was created back in a time we were burning people at the stake because we thought they were witches, so there’s always that.

    The Gate Control Theory (GCT) by Melzack and Wall was the next kid on the block. This theory explained how the spinal cord acted as a gatekeeper, choosing what dangerous and non-dangerous messages were sent to the brain. Even after some of the greatest minds had come together to help explain pain, the GCT could still not explain how people could be in pain without any messages being sent to the brain. Think of when amputees still feel pain in the limbs that they no longer have(which we are going to look at a little bit later), or in our case much closer to home, when we feel pain despite the lack of tissue damage. If the GCT is to be believed, the pain we feel in these cases is not possible and we all know that’s not true.

    We then had the Neuromatrix Model of Pain, followed and updated by the Cortical Body Matrix, which was heavily supported by evidence and built upon the principles of the formation of neurotags. But, alas, even in these later theories of pain, pieces were still missing.

    Most recently, we have moved towards the Biopsychosocial (BPS) model of pain. This was first put forth by Dr George Engel in the 1970s. The Biopsychosocial model of pain considers all the biological, psychological and social factors which can influence pain. The Biopsychosocial model explains how pain is created and modulated by the brain, how pain can be influenced by tissue damage or created in the absence of tissue damage. It describes how pain is a multifactorial, personal experience. It is ultimately the BPS model of pain that helped me understand my own personal pain experience and help me ground my method in solid, evidence-based science.

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    Given the current body of research we have on pain to date, the BPS model of pain is the only model that can stand up to criticism.

    Fibromyalgia pain does not mean damage

    Despite having imagining showing no damage to tissue, bone, or nerves, it can still be hard for individuals to truly believe they are not damaged. After all, it’s hard not to when your muscles and bones ache to such an extent it limits what you can do every day. So, to help hammer home this point of pain not meaning damage, I managed to find some brilliant examples to help show you how pain can exist with or without damage. One such example is that of people around the world who don’t even feel pain!

    This is known as “congenital analgesia” and for those with this rare medical condition, their life expectancy is drastically reduced. After all, how would you know if your appendix was about to burst if you couldn’t feel pain? Or how would you know if you were walking on a fractured leg? Well, the truth is you wouldn’t.

    There’s a reason we experience pain and it’s not about damage, it’s about protection. In fact, we don’t even need a body to feel pain. There’s no shortage of people with pain in legs and arms that were amputated decades ago, suffering what is commonly referred to as phantom pain syndrome.

    Pain is 100% real, but it is also a subjective experience, which means we have no real way of knowing if everyone feels the pain the same way. As I mentioned before, If pain is made in the brain, then we don’t even need a body to feel it. A great example regarding phantom limb pain is the example is of  Mark Goddard back in the late ’90s, who fell off his motorbike and began to suffer intense pain in his hand as a result. Mark had multiple x-rays, MRI’s and even nerve conduction tests, and every time, they came back fine. After a while, Mark asked the NHS to amputate his hand, as he felt that he would rather not have the hand if it meant no more pain. After a long drawn out argument with the NHS about the ethics (because he was asking them to amputate a hand with perfectly healthy tissue), they said no.

    After being told no by the NHS, Mark had reached the end of his tether and decided that he would take matters into his own hands. Over the next two weeks, he built a guillotine in his shed. Mark waited until his wife went out of the house and he chopped his own hand off! He threw his hand into a bucket and set it on fire so that it could never be reattached, and after a whole year of not having his hand, Mark still had hand pain….despite not having a hand. If you want to read about marks story, you can read his press article here.

    I myself have seen this in the studio over the years, as clients report that joints hurt, despite the fact they have had a full knee replacement years ago! They were feeling pain in a piece of metal, which again, is a great way to show you that you experience pain in the brain and not the tissue. Pain is complex, it needs emotion, beliefs, context, and so much more to exist.

    Mark is the perfect example that pain isn’t about damage, as he had healthy tissue, but also had pain, then he had no tissue after he removed his hand, but he still had pain. Pain is for protection, it’s not just about damage. In the studio, we see clients every day who have spent decades afraid to even move, in fear they with hurt themselves.

    So, if somebody can have no damage and still have pain, can somebody have damage and experience no pain? In short, absolutely!

    Take for example Federico who was involved in a shark attack. Fed was out surfing one day when he was attacked and sustained a bite to the arm. After being rescued and pulled to shore, he realised he had also been bitten on the leg and he had never even felt it. You can read about Fed here.

    Then there is a great story about Julia, a Russian woman who was walking home one day from work and encountered a mugger. She was unknowingly stabbed in the neck, but took over an hour to realise that the knife was still in there! You can read her story here.

    I hope this short article has helped you dispel some of the myths around pain as a result of damage and has encouraged you to do more, and let your brain slowly begin to start trusting your body again.

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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

  • What Are the Risks of Pain Relief Alternatives to Opioids?

    What Are the Risks of Pain Relief Alternatives to Opioids?

    With so much attention focused on the dangers of opioid painkillers, it’s easy to forget that even “safe” over-the-counter products carry some dangers.

    If you don’t think twice about reaching for a pill to relieve aches and pains, especially medicines called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, you need to know about the wide-ranging cautions surrounding their use, especially if you take them on a regular basis and over a long period of time.

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    NSAIDs can cause:

    • New or worsening high blood pressure
    • Heart failure
    • Liver issues
    • Kidney damage
    • Anemia
    • Life-threatening skin and allergic reactions

    NSAIDs can also increase the chance of a heart attack or stroke, even within just the first few weeks of using one, and the risk can rise over time. Your risk for heart issues is greater if you have high blood pressure or heart disease or recently had a heart attack or bypass surgery. Aspirin is the one NSAID this warning doesn’t apply to. However, NSAIDs, including aspirin, can damage the stomach lining and cause gastrointestinal (GI) tract bleeding and ulcers.

    Your risk for GI issues is higher if you:

    • Take NSAIDs long-term
    • Are over age 60
    • Are a heavy drinker
    • Have a history of GI bleeding or ulcers
    • Are also taking blood-thinners, steroids or certain other medications

    If you’re considering acetaminophen, commonly known by the brand name Tylenol, as an alternative to NSAIDs, know that acetaminophen can also cause severe liver damage, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Like NSAIDs, it’s also in hundreds of other products, so as with all drugs, read medication ingredient labels to avoid taking too much of the same active ingredient and potentially overdosing.

    In general, always take the lowest effective dose for the shortest amount of time possible, and only after talking to your doctor if you already have high blood pressure or any other chronic condition.

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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

  • For Rural Patients, Opioid Treatment Centers Often Too Far Away

    Methadone is often used in the fight against opioid addiction, but long travel times in rural areas may be hampering efforts to get more people treated, a new study finds.

    If methadone for opioid addiction was available in primary care clinics, more people would have better access to treatment, researchers suggest.

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    In the United States, methadone is only available at clinics certified by the federal government as Opioid Treatment Programs, or OTPs. This restriction, along with state and local laws, limits the number of clinics that offer methadone for opioid addiction.

    For the study, researchers looked at drive times to OTPs in rural and urban counties in Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia. These states are among those hardest hit by the opioid epidemic.

    Drive time is important because methadone treatment requires six visits a week to an OTP, the study authors noted.

    Except in the largest cities, average drive times to OTPs were longer than to other clinics, the study found.

    The average drive time to a methadone clinic was 37 minutes, compared with 16 minutes to other medical clinics and 15 minutes to kidney dialysis centers. In rural areas, the drive time can be close to two hours, the researchers found.

    “This study makes clear how poorly accessible methadone is for rural communities harmed by the opioid epidemic,” study author Dr. Paul Joudrey, a post-doctoral fellow at Yale University, said in a university news release.

    Joudrey noted that another drug, buprenorphine, is used in primary care settings to treat opioid addiction, but it doesn’t help everyone. Addiction experts recommend that methadone should be available in all communities to improve health and reduce death among people who are addicted to opioids.

    The report was published Oct. 1 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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    Click Here to Visit the Store and find Much More….

    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

  • Signs Your Back Pain Is Serious

    Signs Your Back Pain Is Serious

    We’ve all had back pain from time to time. Maybe we lifted luggage that was too heavy, held a baby for too long or carried a backpack overloaded with books.

    Some aches and pain here and there are normal—ones that tend to go away after you rest or exercise. But millions of Americans have ongoing back pain. It’s the leading cause of disability in people younger than 45, and many factors can cause it.

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    You shouldn’t be in severe and significant pain for a long time. So, how do you know if your back pain is serious? Read on to find out more.

    Here are a few signs that your back pain shouldn’t be taken lightly.

    1. You fell.
    Consider if you’ve had a serious trauma, such as you fell from a height or had a car accident. Even if you’ve had a minor trauma and are over 50, your health care professional will want to talk to you and examine your back pain. When you’re older, falling down even a few steps can cause a fracture. If there is no fracture, you may be told to manage your pain with medicine and physical therapy.

    2. You have an ongoing fever.
    A fever that isn’t responsive to medicine and is accompanied by back pain could be a sign of a serious infection. If it’s an infection, you may be prescribed antibiotics. You may be told to rest and then resume your daily activities once you feel better.

    3. You have tingling or numbness.
    Here, you have a pins-and-needles feeling in your back that won’t go away. It usually means that you have nerve damage or irritation, making it more significant than your typical back pain. You can experience permanent disabilities if you leave this condition untreated. Your health care professional can evaluate you and may order tests to get images of your spine. Treatment depends on your diagnosis.

    What is VCF?

    Vertebral compression fractures (VCFs) are the most common fractures in people with osteoporosis, a silent condition that weakens your bones and makes them more susceptible to fractures. VCFs affect about 750,000 people annually, says the National Osteoporosis Foundation. And they affect about one-quarter of postmenopausal women in the United States. The risk of this condition increases with age; about 40 percent of women age 80 and older are affected.

    VCFs happen when the bony block or vertebral body in the spine collapses. That can lead to severe pain, deformity and height loss. These fractures happen more commonly in the middle portion of the spine.

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    Most of the time, a VCF happens without an injury or pain. It can be caused by something as insignificant as a sneeze. One of the first signs of VCF is height loss. Think about whether your adult children seem taller. Do you need to hem pants you’ve worn for years? Are you suddenly unable to reach a shelf? These signs may mean you’ve experienced VCF.

    Risks if left untreated

    VCFs can be very painful. People who’ve had one VCF are at five times greater risk of having a second one. Risk for death goes up to more than 50 percent a year after a vertebral fracture.

    Each broken vertebra raises the risk for another since it changes how weight is balanced on the spine. You’ll experience pain in your back and chest as these muscles have to work more to hold you upright. It gets more difficult to walk. You develop stomach troubles and difficulty breathing. If you do nothing, you may experience disability.

    Complications related to VCF include:

    Segmental instability

    When a fracture leads to a vertebral body collapse of more than 50 percent, there is a risk of segmental instability. Because spinal segments work together, when one segment deteriorates or collapses, it can produce pain and impair daily activities. The instability eventually leads to a quicker degeneration of the spine in the affected area.

    Kyphosis

    Here, the front of the vertebrae will collapse and “wedge” because of a lack of normal vertebral space. Kyphosis leads to a more rounded thoracic spine, which may be referred to as hunchback or dowager’s hump.

    Neurological complications

    If the fracture causes part of the vertebral body to place pressure on the spinal cord, the nerves and spinal cord can be affected. The normal space between the spinal cord and beginning of the spinal canal can be decreased if pieces of the broken vertebral body push into the spinal canal.

    The narrowing of the spinal canal due to a VCF can injure the spinal nerves or cause problems later from nerve irritation. The lack of space can also lower the blood and oxygen supply to the spinal cord. This can lead to numbness and pain in the affected nerves. The nerves may lose some of their mobility when the space around them decreases, which can lead to nerve irritation and inflammation. Back pain isn’t par for the course as you get older. If you experience any back pain, make sure to speak with a health care professional about your symptoms.

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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

  • What You Need to Know About Acetaminophen Use during Pregnancy?

    Two-thirds of American women take acetaminophen for pregnancy’s aches and pains. But the medication might not be as harmless as previously thought.

    Research published in October online in JAMA Psychiatry shows that women who took acetaminophen (Tylenol) at the end of their pregnancies were much more likely to have a child with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or autism spectrum disorder (ASD). After testing blood from the mother and the umbilical cord soon after birth, the odds of these developmental disorders were more than twice as high in children exposed to acetaminophen near the time of birth. The association was strongest between exposure to acetaminophen and ADHD in the child.

    Researchers analyzed data from the Boston Birth Cohort, a long-term study of factors influencing pregnancy and child development. They collected umbilical cord blood from 996 births and measured the amount of acetaminophen and two of its byproducts in each sample. Participants‘ average age was 10 and slightly more than half were boys. When the children were an average of 8.9 years, 25.8 percent had been diagnosed with ADHD only, 6.6 percent with ASD only and 4.2 percent with ADHD and ASD. Just over 30 percent had another developmental disability. Almost 33 percent had no developmental concerns.

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    Researchers classified the amount of acetaminophen and its byproducts in the samples into thirds, from lowest to highest. Compared to the lowest third, the middle third of exposure was associated with about 2.26 times the risk for ADHD. The highest third of exposure was associated with 2.86 times the risk. Similarly, ASD risk was higher for those in the middle third (2.14 times) and highest third (3.62 times).

    Authors found that their results support earlier studies linking acetaminophen exposure in the womb with ADHD and ASD. While the study found an association between an expectant mother’s use of acetaminophen and the development of ADHD and possibly autism in her child, it can’t prove a definitive cause-and-effect link.

    Doctors Weigh In

    Don’t panic if you’ve taken acetaminophen during pregnancy. “I wouldn’t worry if you’ve already taken acetaminophen purely based on the results of this study,” says Rashmi Kudesia, MD, M.Sc., a reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist who practices at CCRM Fertility Houston in Houston and is Assistant Clinical Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology at Houston Methodist Hospital. She is on the Women’s Health Advisory Council. “This study only looked at umbilical cord blood, reflective of the time right around delivery. What, if anything, that means for earlier acetaminophen use, is unknown.”

    Talk about medication use with your doctor. If you’ve already taken acetaminophen, don’t worry. “As for this study, since the genetics and environmental etiologies of autism and ADHD remain poorly understood, I would advise caution in linking Tylenol to causation or increased fetal risk,” says Dr. DaCarla M. Albright, MD, Associate Professor of Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and an Assistant Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, with a focus on Wellness, at the Perelman School of Medicine at the Univeristy of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. She is on the HealthyWomen’s Women’s Health Advisory Council. “We have more to learn.”

    Most doctors have a ‘safe-during-pregnancy’ list of medications they’ll provide early in pregnancy, Dr. Kudesia says. “Even with this study, acetaminophen remains among the safest drugs for pain during pregnancy,” she says. NSAIDs like ibuprofen aren’t recommended, and neither are narcotics. If your pain is chronic, develop a long-term pain management plan ahead of time to avoid or reduce repetitive use of acetaminophen. “This latter recommendation is one I’ve always made, and it’s unchanged by the findings of the current study,” she says. For certain conditions, like migraines, there may be specialized prescription medications that work best. “But out of over-the-counter options, acetaminophen remains the best alternative,” she says.

    If you get a fever during pregnancy, talk with your obstetrician before medicating; it may be a sign of pregnancy complications and may need further evaluation. Tylenol is your safest medication for fever management, says Dr. Albright. Non-medication alternatives, like ice packs or warm compresses (don’t apply heat directly to your abdomen in pregnancy), or alternative approaches such as massage or acupuncture, depending on the type of pain you’re experiencing. “Discuss the desire to take any medication in pregnancy with your physician,” she says. “It allows your physician the opportunity to appropriately triage the condition and make the best recommendations for you.”

    The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality. The study was conducted by Xiaobing Wang, M.D., of the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, and colleagues.

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  • 4 Tips for Pain Relief Quick

    When you’re in pain, you have one thing on your mind – please make it stop. Luckily there are many pain management options out there, some work faster than others, and some even have an immediate effect. And while opioids can serve an important function, my advice for patients is to try a non-medication approach first. The following pain-relief tips are sustainable and most importantly they’re often times effective for many types of pain conditions when combined with a comprehensive treatment plan.

    1. Go for a walk:

    Being active is great for your health as seen in many studies. It can help strengthen muscles and extend your life, when combined with a comprehensive pain management routine. Any physical activity should first be discussed with your doctor, and be adjusted based on your ability to tolerate your symptoms and function; however, there are plenty of low-impact exercises that can have a positive impact on your pain. Walking is one of them. It can be done anytime and almost anywhere, and the simple act of moving can work wonders on relieving certain symptoms, especially chronic back pain. Some ideas on how to incorporate walking into your daily routine could include: take your dog for a quick stroll first thing in the morning when you may be feeling especially stiff, choose the farthest parking space, use the office restroom or the walking route that’s out of your way at work.

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    2. Take massage into your own hands:

    Massage is a popular pain-relief option due to its many pain-relieving benefits; however, making an appointment at the spa can be prohibitive due to time and cost. So if you are one of the many individuals whose day is filled with work, errands and other responsibilities, a handheld at-home massager can be a much needed relief. For example, the Wahl Deep Tissue Massager is one of the most powerful massagers currently available. It offers customized relief through a combination of interchangeable heads and variable intensity control.

    One of the biggest advantages of incorporating at-home massage into a comprehensive pain-management regimen is convenience and the fact that it provides relief fast. Massage relieves muscle tension by enhancing blood flow, which causes muscles to relax. It also decreases inflammation by activating genes that can naturally reduce swelling, it reduces pain intensity by diminishing bodily substances that create and prolong pain and it improves recovery by stimulating mitochondria, the “energy packs” driving cellular function and repair.

    3. Stay hydrated:

    Water can be an easy way to stem pain at the source. Keeping water nearby and making sure you drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses daily can make all the difference when trying to combat pain. In general, your body needs water to work properly, to lubricate and cushion your joints, to protect your tissues, to keep your temperature normal and to get rid of wastes. A lack of water can lead to dehydration and drain your energy even further, leading to exhaustion and more painful symptoms. Water is a key element in keeping balance in your body and overall health.

    4. Take a dip.

    I already covered the miraculous effect water can have on your body from the inside, but it has soothing powers from the outside too. Depending on the source or your chronic pain, a warm bath can offer respite from your discomfort. Being submerged in water reduces the stress of body weight and gives all-over support, easing pressure on your joints. What’s more, the warm and even temperature stimulates blood flow throughout your body helping to loosen stiff, painful muscles.

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