Fibromyalgia solved; a pathology not in the mind (research)

[Marco]

“This discovery provides concrete evidence of a fibromyalgia-specific pathology which can now be used for diagnosing the disease, and as a novel starting point for developing more effective therapeutics.”

http://psychcentral.com/news/2013/0...-biological-basis-for-fibromyalgia/56233.html

I'm not so sure about specific or diagnostic of fibromyalgia.

Interestingly the same pattern of peripheral neuropathy and AV shunt dysfunction is found in type II diabetes and leads to similar thermoregulatory problems :

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1464-5491.2008.02395.x/abstract

Likewise in 'complex regional pain syndrome' :

http://www.rsds.org/pdfsall/Systemic-Complications-of-CRPS.pdf

 

[Marco]

More on complex regional pain syndrome :

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), formerly referred to as Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD), is one of the diseases classically defined as hysteria minor by the early neurologist, Dr. Jean-Martin Charcot (1892)

In the absence of medical explanations for the symptoms, a psychological etiology is presumed (Stone et al. 2009, Stone et al. 2010).

In contrast to these views, substantial evidence has been obtained that CRPS is a neuroinflammatory disorder, with a probable autoimmune component in many individuals (Blaes et al. 2007, Goebel et al. 2011; Kohr et al. 2011; Goebel 2011). In a study of adult CRPS patients, 90% of the cohort had autoantibodies to either the beta(2)-adrenergic receptor (β2AR) or the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (M2R) (Kohr et al. 2011). 55% of the patients had autoantibodies to both neurotransmitter receptors. Integrating these new research findings into neurological and psychiatric practice will require a comparison between historical views on hysteria, contemporary views on psychogenic illness, as well as emerging information about neuroautoimmunity and neuroinflammation.

Bold added!

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3661922/

 

[Esther12]

Thanks Marco. Unless we understands the specifics, it's worth being wary of what could be the hyping of results.

 

[Marlène]

I always had "winter hands" as a teenager. They hurt soooo much. Ten years later I developed a glomus tumor in my thumb. It took them another 10 years to find out what was causing the excrutiating pain.
"Glomus tumors are thought to arise from the glomus body, a thermoregulatory shunt concentrated in the fingers and toes."

 

[AbbyDear]

Wow, that's encouraging to hear of published article favoring physiological pathology contradicting a psychosomatic infuence.

I am a bit skeptical (maybe concerned is a better word) that big pharma is involved.

While they seemed to stress that it may be a nerve problem (feedback), but maybe there is a metobolic/mitachondria effect on temperature regulation as well. I can imagine CNS issues can paly a part.

I do not have FM type issues, but I do have a lot of pain. I also have circulation issues, with relatively low blood pressure. I have often thought about capillary not functioning properly, e.g. large (possibly immune) cells getting in the way (or large protiens, toxins making it through leaky gut), or red blood cells too large or not flexible enough, or simply the capillaries not flexible enough. But I have also thought that maybe the feedback (nerves) may be messed up. One thought there was that maybe the brain senses circulation issues and attempts to 'relax' the arteries - resulting in low blood pressure... but the capillaries are still under functioning, having challenge.

One thing I can attest to - poor circualtion is itself a positive feedback mechanism - in that once tissue damage occurs (becomes hard, less flexible), circulation, especially at the capillary level becomes even worse, thus leading to more tissue damage, thus leading to poorer circualtion, etc. I can imagine heart attack issues to be a prime example, but I do not think most docs get this, or the seriousness/urgency of poor circulation (chronic). I get the feeling they believe you can only get peripheral circulation problems as a result of diabetes (only).

 

[SilverbladeTE]

Revenge is a dish best served cold, with law suits and journals retracting pishbag studies by psychiatrist SONS OF BITCHES!

 

[vamah]

Revenge is a dish best served cold, with law suits and journals retracting pishbag studies by psychiatrist SONS OF BITCHES!

Fire and blood!

 

[Snowdrop]

Revenge is a dish best served cold, with law suits and journals retracting pishbag studies by psychiatrist SONS OF BITCHES!

Yup. You can't put enough arrows in the (hopefully) now antiquated old paradigm. :grin:

 

[Little Bluestem]

My body temp is always abnormally low and my hands and feel get numb and painful in the winter. Interestingly, wearing heavy socks and shoes makes this problem worse because I do not then have full range of motion to flex my toes which is the only thing that seems to warm them up.

At home, I wear a light pair of sock, a heavy pair of socks, and those hospital slipper-socks with the treads on the bottom. The slipper-socks are some my Dad got when he was in the hospital, so they are 'too big' for me, but just right over a couple of pairs of socks.

 

[rosie26]

I didn't get a lot of the science, but the general idea is fascinating. My body temp is always abnormally low and my hands and feel get numb and painful in the winter. Interestingly, wearing heavy socks and shoes makes this problem worse because I do not then have full range of motion to flex my toes which is the only thing that seems to warm them up.

Even if scientists don't have answers on how to solve this problem yet, it is always nice to see research that contradicts the notion that the disease is psychological.

Warm your feet in some warm - hot water before putting your socks on. I find this helps to keep them warm and doesn't take forever for feet to warm up in socks. x

 

[barbc56]

This is interesting but not sure what it means as I don't completely get the science. Looks like this artical might be a bit of journalistic hyperbole as other conditions have this? Possibly the chicken/egg issue? Still interesting though.

http://edsinfo.wordpress.com/2013/10/20/headline-fibromyalgia-solved/

Sorry for not being able to make the linky one click. I want my laptop back but may not get it for a few more days!

Edit. Well for heaven's sake, the url worked! Maybe the spellcheck will start working? It's still too hard for me to type on my tablet. Ugh!

 

[Esther12]

Ta barb. It's important to realise how much spin there is in science, and not allow oneself to accept the headlines one wants to be true, while only be sceptical, cautious and critical of the other stuff.