Dear Fibromyalgia

Tag: Fibromyalgia

An in-depth guide on Fibromyalgia, covering its symptoms, causes, treatments, and tips for managing this chronic condition effectively.

  • Hip Flexor Stretches for Back Pain

    Back pain affects 80 percent of us at some point in our lives. The good news is that for many people suffering from low back pain, exercises to stretch the hip flexor muscles can help.

    The hip flexors are a group of muscles than run from your thighs all the way up to your low back. They include muscles with strange-sounding names such as the ilacus, the psoas, and the rectus femoris. As a group, these muscles let you bend at the waist and bring your knee to your chest.

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    The problem is that many of us spend our days sitting. When we do that, these muscles are always in a state of contraction. This causes them to shorten and become weaker.

    One of the hip flexor muscles, the psoas is attached to your lumbar vertebrae—the five bones that form the spine in your lower back. So you can see why tightness or weakness in this muscle could affect your back.

    Stretching the hip flexor muscles can help prevent and treat some causes of lower back pain. If you’re having low back pain and you think it might be a result of tight or weak hip flexors, spending a few minutes a day on some simple stretches could help.

    Before you start any exercise program, of course, check with your doctor to make sure you’re in good enough health to perform the exercises without hurting yourself and that there aren’t underlying conditions that need to be treated.

    If your doctor says it’s OK, try these stretches:

    Child’s pose. If you’ve ever done yoga, you’ll recognize this basic pose.

    1. Start by kneeling with your knees and hands on the ground, facing the floor, with your back straight.
    2. Then stretch backward so that your hips are on your heels.
    3. Keeping your hips on your heels, bend forward until your forehead touches the ground.
    4. Stretch your hands out in front of you until your arms are straight.
    5. Relax and hold the stretch for 30 seconds.

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    Supine stretch.

    1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet on the ground in front of you.
    2. Move your right ankle above your left knee and leave it resting on your left thigh.
    3. Put your hands around your left thigh and pull it toward you, keeping your head and shoulders on the floor.
    4. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds.
    5. Then repeat it using the other leg.

    Lunge stretch.

    1. Kneel with your knees and hands on the ground, facing the floor, and your back straight.
    2. Move your right foot forward so that it’s on the outside of your right hand. Make sure the right ankle is slightly in front of the right knee.
    3. Extend your left foot back behind you so that your knee, shin, and foot are touching the floor.
    4. Press your hips forward until you feel a stretch. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds.
    5. Repeat the stretch on the other side of your body.

    For more ideas on stretching your hip flexor muscles, check out this Self magazine article or this GuerillaZen Fitness video. You also might find this article on yoga-based stretches helpful.

    To be sure you’re doing the exercises correctly, we encourage you to make an appointment with a physical therapist.

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    For More Information Related to Fibromyalgia Visit below sites:

    References:

    Fibromyalgia Contact Us Directly

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  • More Clues To Fibromyalgia Pain

    More Clues To Fibromyalgia Pain

    More Clues To Fibromyalgia Pain

    Fibromyalgia patients have more “connectivity” between brain networks and regions of the brain involved in pain processing, which may help explain why sufferers feel pain even when there is no obvious cause, a new study suggests.

    Researchers had 18 women with fibromyalgia undergo six-minute fMRI brain scans, and compared their results to women without the condition.

    Participants were asked to rate the intensity of the pain they were feeling at the time of the test. Some people reported feeling little pain, while others reported feeling more intense pain.

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    Brain scans showed the connectivity, or neural activity, between certain brain networks and the insular cortex, a region of the brain involved in pain processing, was heightened in women with fibromyalgia compared to those without the condition.

    The connectivity to the insular cortex was even stronger in participants who reported feeling more intense pain compared to milder pain, said study author Vitaly Napadow, a neuroscientist at Massachusetts General Hospital.

    “We took advantage of the fact that there is a large discrepancy in the amount of pain patients happen to be in at the time they come in. Unfortunately some patients come in, and they are in a lot of pain. Other patients come in and they are not in pain,” Napadow said.

    The study, by researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital and the University of Michigan, is published in the August issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism.

    Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain syndrome that’s characterized by widespread pain, fatigue, insomnia, and the presence of multiple tender points. The syndrome can also cause psychological issues, including anxiety, depression and memory and concentration problems, sometimes called the “fibromyalgia fog.”

    Prior research has shown that people with fibromyalgia feel a given amount of pain more intensely than others, Napadow explained. In other words, studies have shown a typical person might rate a painful stimuli a “one” on a scale or one to 10, while a person with fibromyalgia might rate the pain a 5 or higher.

    The new study is different in that fibromyalgia patients’ pain responses were measured while they were at rest and not being exposed to anything painful, Napadow said.

    The brain networks involved were the default mode network (DMN) and the right executive attention network (EAN). The DMN is involved in “self–referential thinking,” when you think about yourself or what’s happening to you, Napadow explained.

    The EAN is involved in working memory and attention. When that brain network is occupied, or distracted, by pain, it may explain some of the cognitive issues that fibromyalgia patients experience, Napadow said.

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    Dr. Philip Mease, director of rheumatology research at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle and a member of the National Fibromyalgia Association medical advisory board, said the study provides insight into what may be going on in the brains of people with fibromyalgia.

    “This work shows there is increased connectivity between different brain centers that connect the purely sensory pain processing centers of the brain with some of the emotional and evaluative parts of the brain, or areas of the brain that take a sensory stimulus and say, “How do I interpret this? How do I feel about this’?” Mease said.

    For years, fibromyalgia has been a highly misunderstood syndrome, with some doctors doubting it even existed, and others attributing the pain to depression or other psychological issues.

    That began to change early this decade, when brain scans showed pain-processing abnormalities in fibromyalgia patients, Mease said.

    “That first neuroimaging study really demonstrated fibromyalgia patients were different than normal individuals, and at a neurobiological level, were truly experiencing more pain at lower intensities,” Mease said.

    The new research moves understanding of the condition a step further, by exploring what’s happening in the brain during a resting state.

    “Regardless of poking or prodding them, this study is trying to get at an understanding of what is crackling in the brain, intrinsically, such that they have this higher sensitivity,” Mease said.

    About 10 million Americans are believed to have fibromyalgia, almost 90 percent of whom are women, according to the National Fibromyalgia Association. Sufferers report a history of widespread pain in all four quadrants of the body for at least three months, and pain in at least 11 of 18 “tender points.”

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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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  • Getting Older Doesn’t Have to Mean Living with Pain

    There’s no question about it, as we get older, our chances of suffering a painful medical condition go up. Some studies indicate that 50 percent of older adults live with chronic pain. The rate is even higher for those living in nursing homes.

    But we don’t have to just accept pain as part of our lives. In fact, we shouldn’t. Pain comes with its own damaging side effects. It makes it harder to stay active and get a good night’s sleep and increases the risk of depression. So it’s important to take pain seriously and treat it.

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    Older residents of the Phoenix metro area are fortunate that there are more options than ever today for treating pain—and they’re available right here in the Valley.

    When you think of pain treatment, your first thought is probably medication. And it’s true, medication is an important component of pain treatment for most people.

    But all medications—even over-the-counter ones—can have side effects, and those become even more problematic as we age. The kidneys, liver, and gastrointestinal tract don’t work as efficiently as we get older, so drugs may be absorbed and processed more slowly. On top of that, we’re more likely to suffer from several medical problems as we age, and be taking multiple medications. All of those medications can have side effects and interact with one another.

    In this blog, we will look at some minimally invasive procedures that may be able to relieve your pain and lessen the need for medication. Next month, we’ll look at other alternatives, like acupuncture and physical therapy, that can help with your pain. For the best results in both controlling pain and controlling side effects, your doctor may recommend a combination of treatments.

    Here is a look at just a few of the numerous minimally invasive procedures offered by Chronicillness.co Site physicians that may help relieve your pain.

    Joint Injection. This treatment can bring relief to patients with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis pain. A joint injection contains cortisone, a steroid that helps reduce muscle pain and joint inflammation.

    Vertebroplasty/Kyphoplasty. This procedure can bring relief to patients suffering debilitating back pain caused by compression fractures in their vertebrae. Both use x-ray guidance to place cement into the patient’s damaged vertebrae to stabilize the fracture and restore the spine’s height.

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    Endoscopic Discectomy. If you’re suffering from herniated discs, an endoscopic discectomy—which removes portions of the herniated disc so that compressed nerves can move back to their normal position—may help. This minimally invasive spine surgery can usually be done on an outpatient basis, so you can go home the same day of the surgery.

    Botox. Believe it or not, botulinum toxin, or Botox, is not just for hiding wrinkles. A Botox injection can help with pain caused by neuromuscular disorders, myofascial pain, and chronic migraines. It does this by preventing painful muscle contractions in the face, neck, or low back.

    Peripheral Nerve Block. In this therapy, a combination of local anesthetic agents is injected around the peripheral nerve branches. It can reduce the pain of different neuropathies, including peripheral neuropathy and diabetic peripheral neuropathy. The pain relief may last from a few weeks to a few months.

    Spinal Cord Stimulation. In this FDA-approved, minimally invasive procedure, a nerve stimulation device is implanted that delivers low-voltage electrical currents to areas of the spine. This interferes with the ability of pain signals to reach the brain. It’s an option for patients with chronic back or leg pain who have not responded to more conservative treatments for at least six months.

    IDET/Nucleoplasty. Intradiscal electrothermoplasty (IDET) and nucleoplasty are minimally invasive procedures that use heat or plasma to destroy damaged nerve fibers in the spine. Both procedures destroy damaged nerves while sparing healthy tissue.

    At Chronicillness.co Site we provide more than a dozen minimally invasive procedures that can help with many different types of pain, from cancer pain and pancreatitis to complex regional pain syndrome.

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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

  • Fibromyalgia Symptoms More Severe in Obese Patients

    Patients with fibromyalgia who are severely obese have more severe symptoms and lower quality of life (QOL), according to a study published in the February issue of Arthritis Care & Research.

    Chul-Hyun Kim, M.D., from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and associates measured body mass index (BMI) to determine its association with symptom severity and QOL in 888 patients in a treatment program for fibromyalgia. Participants completed the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) and the Short Form 36 (SF-36) health survey.

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    The researchers found that 28.4 percent of patients were nonobese, 26.8 percent were overweight, 22.2 percent were moderately obese, and 22.6 percent were severely obese. Group differences were significant with respect to the number of tender points (P = 0.003) and the FIQ and SF-36 scores, after adjusting for age. For the group with the greater BMI, there were significantly worse FIQ total scores, and significantly worse scores in the FIQ subscales of physical fitness, work missed, job ability, pain, stiffness, and depression. Significantly poorer SF-36 scores were seen in these groups in physical functioning, pain index, general health perception, role emotional, and physical component summary. The differences were mainly in the severely obese group compared with the other groups.

    “In patients with fibromyalgia, severe obesity (BMI ≥35.0 kg/m²) is associated with higher levels of fibromyalgia symptoms and lower levels of QOL,” the authors write.

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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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  • Scans Reveal Brain Abnormalities in Fibromyalgia Patients

    Researchers have detected abnormalities in the brains of people with fibromyalgia, a complex, chronic condition characterized by muscle pain and fatigue.

    “We showed in our study that the functional abnormalities observed were mainly related to disability,” and not to anxiety and depression status, said Dr. Eric Guedj, the study’s lead author and a researcher at Centre Hospitalier-Universitaire de la Timone in France.

    While some researchers have suggested that the pain reported by fibromyalgia patients was the result of depression, the new study suggests otherwise. The abnormalities found on brain scans done by the study authors were independent of the women’s anxiety and depression levels, Guedj said.

    The French researchers evaluated 20 women diagnosed with fibromyalgia and 10 healthy women without the condition who served as a control group. They asked all the women to respond to questionnaires to determine levels of pain, disability, anxiety and depression.

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    Then, the researchers performed brain imaging called single photon emission computed tomography, or SPECT.

    The imaging showed that women with the syndrome had “brain perfusion” — or blood flow abnormalities — compared to the healthy women. The researchers then found that these abnormalities were directly correlated with the severity of disease symptoms.

    An increase in blood flow was found in the brain region known to discriminate pain intensity, the researchers found.

    The findings were published in the November issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

    An estimated 10 million Americans are thought to have fibromyalgia, the majority of them women, according to the National Fibromyalgia Association. They report a history of widespread pain in all four quadrants of the body for at least three months, and pain in at least 11 of 18 “tender points.”

    Besides pain, fibromyalgia symptoms include fatigue; problems with cognitive functioning, memory and concentration; difficulty sleeping; and stiffness.

    The cause of fibromyalgia remains a mystery, according to the association, but it may occur following physical trauma such as an injury, experts say. Treatments focus on relieving symptoms and helping patients function.

    In previous research, Guedj and his team had found functional abnormalities in areas of the brain of fibromyalgia patients. The latest study goes a step further, demonstrating that the brain abnormalities are correlated with disease severity, he said.

    Dr. Patrick Wood, senior medical adviser for the National Fibromyalgia Association, said the new study provides “further evidence of an objective difference between patients with fibromyalgia and those who don’t have the disorder.” Wood reviewed the study results but was not involved with the research.

    Other studies have found a correlation between brain abnormalities and fibromyalgia symptoms, Wood said, adding that the new study adds more evidence and information on how the abnormalities affect patients.

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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

  • 10 Reasons to Use Botox Treatment for Pain

    In this blog, we’ll be answering the following questions:

    • How is Botox used for pain relief?
    • Is Botox for pain safe?
    • How long does Botox last for pain relief?
    • What are the ten reasons to use Botox for pain management?
    • How long does it take for Botox to work for pain relief?
    • What should you expect from a Botox injection procedure?

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    Although it is commonly known for its use in cosmetic procedures, Botox injections also aid in treating muscular pain disorders and conditions, even for long-term relief.

    Some of these disorders and conditions include:

    How is Botox Used for Pain Relief?

    A Botox procedure for pain relief involves injecting a local anesthetic into your problematic muscles, inducing a level of paralysis by blocking acetylcholine. This chemical causes your muscles to contract.

    Depending on the muscles causing your pain, Botox may be injected into your face, lower back, or neck to prevent contractions from continuing.

    Is Botox a Painkiller?

    Botox is a painkiller because it relieves pain by relaxing the muscles causing discomfort and blocking pain response chemicals in your brain. It is typically a mixture of saline or local anesthetic and a diluted form of botulinum toxin type A, which is injected directly into your muscle in small, safe amounts. Your muscle tension will likely be relieved after about 5-10 injections around your problematic muscles.

    Does Botox Stop Nerve Pain?

    Given that it blocks pain response signals sent by your nerves to your brain, Botox can be injected into problematic nerves to relieve pain caused by conditions such as sciatica.

    Is Botox for Pain Safe?

    Botox for pain relief is a safe and effective non-surgical alternative for many pain conditions and disorders. You may experience swelling or bruising around the injection site. In rarer cases, flu-like symptoms such as nausea or headache might occur but typically resolve without further treatment.

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    How Long Does Botox Last for Pain Relief?

    Botox is never intended to be a permanent solution for treating pain conditions, but pain relief may last up to 3-6 months, requiring periodic injections for ongoing relief.

    Botox injections are used to treat many different muscular and nervous conditions, including:

    1. Lazy eye due to an imbalance in the muscles which position your eye
    2. Eye twitches due to contracting and twitching muscles around your eye
    3. Chronic migraines that occur more than half a month regularly
    4. Bladder dysfunction causing urinary incontinence
    5. Hyperhidrosis causes excessive sweating without you being hot or exerting yourself
    6. Cervical dystonia, where your neck muscles cause your head to turn and twist in uncomfortable positions
    7. Muscle contractures cause your limbs to pull inward to your center (ex: cerebral palsy)
    8. Myofascial pain disorder, resulting in pain caused by the inflammation of your body’s soft tissue – general muscle pain
    9. Sciatica, causing pain along your sciatic nerve from your lower back down to each of your legs
    10. Arthritis, causing swelling and tenderness in a single or multiple joints

    How Long Does It Take for Botox to Work for Pain Relief?

    You typically feel pain relief from Botox injections within two weeks of your procedure, lasting potentially up to 4 months.

    But bear in mind–for long-term pain relief, you’ll likely need continual injections until the cause of your pain is accounted for.

    What Should You Expect from a Botox Injection Procedure?

    Botox injections are quick and safe, taking about 5 minutes to complete. You’ll be able to return home after the procedure. Still, we advise you to avoid contact with the injection area for 24 hours to prevent the unintended spreading of Botox to other places around your problematic muscles.

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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

  • Pain: Another Gender Gap

    Like many other things in life, pain discriminates by gender. Women, studies show, feel pain more intensely than men, suffer disproportionately from conditions like chronic pain and migraines, and are more likely to be undertreated for pain than men.

    More pain, no gain

    More than 70 percent of people who report suffering chronic pain are women, according to a 2003 report in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinics of North America. Compared with men, women are more prone to a wide range of painful conditions, including migraines, irritable bowel syndrome, temporomandibular joint disorder, and fibromyalgia.

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    Women also appear to feel pain more intensely than men. Lab studies show that if you expose women and men to the same painful situation, such as being exposed to gradually increasing heat, women are usually the first to say ouch. On the plus side, other studies show that women handle pain better than men do. This might be because women have more experience coping with the predictable pains of menstruation and childbirth, and know how to prepare for painful episodes.

    Ironically, the half of the population that feels the most pain is also the half that is least likely to get the treatment they need. The National Women’s Health Resource Center reports that women with chronic pain often have trouble convincing doctors of the severity of their pain. As a result, they’re also more likely than men to have their pain undertreated.

    Some may be tempted to write off these differences as attributable to cultural influences. After all, there’s no doubt that boys and girls grow up with different outlooks on pain. Girls often feel free to cry over small injuries, while boys feel extra pressure to hold in tears. But the gender gap in pain goes far deeper than culture or upbringing. As recently reported by the American Pain Society, researchers are finding fundamental biological differences in the ways male and female bodies sense and respond to pain. Learning more about these differences can help shed light on the basic nature of pain and may lead to improved treatments for all patients.

    Hormonal differences

    Not surprisingly, hormones explain many gender differences in pain. The monthly ebb and flow of female hormones such as estrogen can clearly help fuel migraine headaches, a potentially disabling condition that is three times as common in women as in men. Women are especially vulnerable to migraines during their menstrual periods, when estrogen levels are low. Studies suggest that drops in estrogen can also interfere with the body’s ability to control pain. During menstruation, women produce only meager amounts of endorphins, the body’s natural pain relievers. When estrogen levels are high — near the time of ovulation — women can produce about as many endorphins as men, as reported at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

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    The brain also plays a role in the gender gap. In a small study of patients with irritable bowel syndrome, researchers at the University of California in Los Angeles have found that men and women use different parts of their brain to respond to pain. Scan results showed that women tend to turn on their limbic system, the emotional center of the brain. Men, in contrast, respond to pain with the cognitive or analytical part of their brain. Researchers speculate that these brain differences may reflect ancient gender roles. In the old days, women in pain often needed to protect and comfort their young, a highly emotional job. Meanwhile, injured men were more likely to attack the source of the trouble — with a spear, if necessary.

    Unfortunately for women, an emotional response can make an already painful situation even worse. As reported by the American Pain Society, women are more likely than men to develop anxiety or depression along with their pain. Both anxiety and depression can sharpen feelings of pain while raising the risk of disability.

    Men avoid pain treatment

    Of course, the cool, calm approach often taken by men has its drawbacks, too. Men are less likely than women to take their pain seriously, according to the National Institutes of Health. Instead of getting treatment, men often just hope their pain will go away — at least for a while.

    A study conducted over 36 months analyzing emergency room visits by more than 32,000 Baltimore men found that there was an increase in male visits immediately following televised sports events. The study, presented in October 2006 at the American College of Emergency Physicians conference, suggests that many men who visited the Baltimore VA Medical Center’s emergency room for various illnesses, including chest pain, abdominal pain, shortness of breath, and headaches chose to ignore their pain until they’d finished watching their football, baseball or basketball game.

    As doctors learn more about gender differences in pain, both men and women should get more of the relief they need. There’s certainly room for improvement. Until attitudes change, women may have to be especially aggressive in getting the right treatment for their pain. Men and women may be wired differently, but in the end, relief should be gender-blind.

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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 is an EMG Nerve Conduction Study?

    Our nervous system uses electrical signals to communicate with muscles throughout our body. As electrical currents can be measured in areas like our homes, we can also measure electrical activity in our muscles and nerves.

    Electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction studies measure the electrical signals sent through our nerves and muscles. As you might anticipate, doctors can identify disruptions in these signals that may cause nerve or muscular pain and discomfort.

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    In this blog, we’ll be covering:

    • What is a nerve conduction test?
    • How painful is an EMG nerve conduction study?
    • What conditions can an EMG diagnose?
    • How does an EMG detect nerve damage?
    • What happens if EMG is abnormal?
    • How do I prepare for the tests?
    • How long does a nerve test take?

    While an EMG test focuses on the electrical activity in your muscles, a nerve conduction study measures the speed and strength of electrical signals in your nerves. Both tests provide a broad picture of your body’s electrical traffic and whether any disruptors indicate a condition or disorder causing your pain.

    Those who need EMG and nerve conduction tests are experiencing symptoms that may include muscle weakness, tingling or numbness, cramps, spasms, twitching, and even muscle paralysis.

    How Painful is an EMG Nerve Conduction Study?

    Besides some minor pain, cramping, and even a tingling sensation, EMG and nerve conduction studies are minimally invasive. An EMG test will require inserting a needle electrode into your muscle. In contrast, nerve conduction studies simply tape or paste stimulating electrodes to your muscles and send a mild electrical pulse throughout your body.

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    What Conditions Can an EMG Diagnose?

    Some of the conditions an EMG and nerve conduction studies can show include:

    How Does an EMG Detect Nerve Damage?

    An EMG detects damage to your nervous system by inserting a thin electrode needle into your muscle while monitoring electrical activity and proceeding with results on an oscilloscope (monitor). You will be asked to contract or relax your muscles throughout the procedure.

    What Happens if EMG is Abnormal?

    If your EMG reading is abnormal, your electrical activity will consist of odd wave shapes and patterns. Your body produces a baseline electrical current throughout, which becomes abnormal during muscle contraction.

    Abnormal EMG results are usually signs of nerve dysfunction, muscle injury, and muscle disorders, including:

    Identifying abnormalities with an EMG enables your doctor to diagnose and treat your current ongoing condition accurately.

    How Do I Prepare for the Tests?

    Considering doctors will need easy access to all your muscles in the test area, you should wear loose, comfortable clothing, especially if you need to switch to a hospital gown.

    Since electrodes will also be attached to the surface of your skin for emitting electrical current, keep your skin clean and avoid using lotions, body creams, perfume, or cologne for a couple of days before your test.

    Let your healthcare provider know if you have a pacemaker or cardiac defibrillator. There will need to be special accommodations made for your particular procedure.

    How Long Does a Nerve Test Take?

    An EMG test may take 30 to 60 minutes to complete, whereas a nerve conduction test may take 15 minutes to more than an hour, depending on the scope of your test.

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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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  • Scientists Spot Unexpected Player in Fibromyalgia

    Fibromyalgia is a mysterious and misunderstood illness, but researchers may have uncovered at least one key to the disease’s origin: insulin resistance.

    The new research compared a small group of people with fibromyalgia to two groups of healthy people and noted that a long-term measure of blood sugar levels was higher in the people with fibromyalgia. Insulin resistance develops when the body starts to struggle with breaking down sugar.

    To see if treating those higher blood sugar levels might help, the researchers gave people who had blood sugar levels in the pre-diabetic range or higher a diabetes medication called metformin. People taking metformin reported significantly lower pain scores, according to the study.

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    “We combined metformin with standard drugs used for fibromyalgia and saw a much greater degree of pain relief,” said study author Dr. Miguel Pappolla. He is a professor of neurology at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.

    In fact, Pappolla said, the additional pain relief was so significant that the researchers actually called patients on different days to re-check their pain scores.

    Because this is a preliminary finding, the researchers aren’t sure how insulin resistance might contribute to fibromyalgia or how metformin might reduce pain. “Metformin may have some analgesic [pain-relieving] activity on its own,” Pappolla said.

    Fibromyalgia is a condition that causes widespread pain, fatigue, sleep problems and distress, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Even celebrities aren’t spared from this painful condition — Lady Gaga reportedly had to cancel concerts on her tour due to pain from fibromyalgia.

    Though the cause of the disorder isn’t clear, it appears that people with fibromyalgia may be more sensitive to pain than other people — what the CDC calls abnormal pain processing.

    Pappolla said that studies have shown differences in the brain between people with fibromyalgia and those without, such as areas with a lower blood flow than expected. The researchers noted that similar problems have been seen in people with diabetes.

    The study included 23 people with fibromyalgia. The researchers compared their hemoglobin A1c levels to large groups of healthy people from two other studies. Hemoglobin A1c is a simple blood test that measures what someone’s blood sugar levels were during the past two or three months. A level of 5.7% to 6.4% is considered pre-diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association. A level of 6.5% or higher means a person has diabetes.

    Only six of those with fibromyalgia had normal blood sugar levels. Sixteen had levels considered pre-diabetes and one met the criteria for diabetes.

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    When the researchers compared the average blood sugar levels of the fibromyalgia group to healthy age-matched people in the other studies, they saw that the blood sugar levels were higher in the people with fibromyalgia, suggesting insulin resistance.

    The findings were published online recently in the journal PLOS ONE.

    Dr. Edward Rubin, an anesthesiologist and pain management specialist at Long Island Jewish Medical Center, said, “It’s interesting that there’s a possible connection between fibromyalgia and blood sugar. We’ve been attacking the symptoms of fibromyalgia, but we don’t have a good understanding of the root cause of fibromyalgia.”

    Rubin, who wasn’t involved in the study, said there may be enough evidence here to try metformin along with other medications used for fibromyalgia for people whose blood sugar levels fall outside of the normal range, to see if they have a positive response.

    Dr. Bharat Kumar, from the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, said this study shows people with the disease that there is hope.

    “People with fibromyalgia are often told [falsely] that they have a disease that simply cannot be managed. This article shows that it’s not true. Although it’s unclear if metformin will work for every person suffering from fibromyalgia, there is active research into finding solutions for this frustrating and overlooked condition,” he said.

    Kumar said it’s biologically plausible that insulin could have an effect on pain. “We know that other hormone abnormalities can cause fibromyalgia-like symptoms, so [this finding] is not too surprising,” he added.

    Still, he said, he didn’t expect that metformin would be a “silver bullet” for all fibromyalgia pain. He said there are likely a number of causes of the disease.

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    For More Information Related to Fibromyalgia Visit below sites:

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  • Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery for Treating Back Pain

    With incredible advancements in medical technology, you now have more options to relieve back pain than ever before. Minimally invasive spine surgery offers effective treatment that relieves pressure and pain, proving a safer and quicker alternative to open-back surgery.

    We’ll cover:

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    What is Considered Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery?

    Minimally invasive spine surgery targets the spinal column (the backbone) and spinal cord with endoscopic methods using small incisions to provide quick relief for varying back issues.

    Unlike traditional open spine surgery, where your surgeon typically makes a 5 to 6-inch incision, minimally invasive spine surgery only requires an incision that’s ½ an inch long.

    It also requires less downtime compared to traditional spine surgery; Due to the surgery being less invasive, you’ll be able to get home sooner and have a less painful and much quicker recovery.

    Endoscopic spinal surgery is one of the more common names for minimally invasive surgeries for back pain. It is common to use procedures to treat torn or herniated discs in the spinal canal and relieve leg pain and chronic lower back pain.

    These procedures can also create minimally invasive variants of otherwise traditional spine surgeries. For example, a lumbar laminectomy involves less post-recovery pain and blood loss than its traditional form.

    What are Some of the Different Types of Minimally Invasive Surgery?

    Spinal Stenosis Decompression

    For those who suffer from spinal stenosis, this treatment offers relief from its consequent pain and pressure. Due to spinal column narrowing, there is increased pressure on the nerves inside. Spinal stenosis decompression releases this built-up pressure by opening the canals where the spinal cord and nerves pass through.

    Compression Fracture Repairs

    This procedure is also known as vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty. It is common in treating compression fractures caused by osteoporosis and other similar conditions.

    Herniated Disc Removal

    A herniated disc causes compression on the nerve roots in the spinal column or on the actual spinal cord. This procedure removes the disc and gets rid of the painful pressure.

    Artificial Disc Replacement

    A damaged spinal disc causes pain, numbness, and weakness. Rather than just removing it, you can have it replaced with an artificial disc to restore your spinal cord’s strength, movement, and height.

    Spinal Canal Enlargement

    Spinal canal enlargement relieves pain and pressure in the back by enlarging the hole where a disc is “bulging” and causing pain to the nerve root. This procedure may also be used for untreated compression, causing the spinal cord to become thicker, resulting in painful pressure.

    Spinal Fusion

    Spinal fusion was originally a traditional surgery but now offers a minimally invasive procedure. With two small incisions, the procedure can be accomplished much quicker while taking less time to recover. Its primary focus is treating scoliosis symptoms: spinal deformity and instability.

    Who is a Good Candidate for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery?

    If you suffer from one or more of these back problems and haven’t found a nonsurgical treatment that’s helped, you might be a candidate for minimally invasive spine surgery.

    Candidates for minimally invasive spine surgery have:

    What are the Advantages of Minimally Invasive Surgery?

    Minimally invasive spinal surgery offers a variety of advantages that make it a great option before considering traditional open-back surgery. Tools used in procedures like a tubular retractor gives surgeons access to areas of the spine without needing to make extra incisions in your muscle.

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    Advantages of minimally invasive spine surgery include:

    • Small incisions; most incisions will be no larger than the size of a ballpoint pen or ½ an inch.
    • Shorter length procedures and hospital stay
    • Cheaper than traditional options; less equipment and surgery time equals a smaller bill
    • Faster recovery time; full recovery usually takes 4-6 weeks
    • Less painful recovery and damage to muscles
    • Less downtime and physical therapy
    • Less long and short-term health risks; due to the procedure making smaller incisions and not causing great ruptures to the muscle tissue, it offers fewer risk factors

    How Long Does it Take to Recover from Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery?

    Individuals who undergo minimally invasive spine surgery commonly return to regular activities and daily life within six weeks post-operation. Recovery time varies from patient to patient, but the general full recovery is within this six-week range. In comparison, invasive spine surgery can take up to three to four months (12-16 weeks) for a full recovery.

    What is the Success Rate of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery?

    Patient feedback, medical studies, and personal testimonies have provided evidence of a high success rate for minimally invasive spine surgery. Below are several pieces reflecting the overall positive response.

    A Feedback report from the University of Utah found that approximately 80 to 90 percent of patients experienced less pain and better mobility after minimally invasive spine surgery.

    Likewise, a National Library of Medicine study found that minimally invasive lumbar spine surgery is safe and highly effective in the elderly population.

    According to the Newport Orthopedic Institute, out of 22 young athletes undergoing minimally invasive fusions for lumbar spondylolisthesis, 82% returned to active participation in football, soccer, cricket, and golf.

    A summary of the SPORT study (Spinal Outcomes Research Trial) performed by the North American Spine Society showed that between 85% and 100% of athletes could return to their pre-surgery level in a professional sport after a minimally invasive lumbar discectomy.

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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