Fibromyalgia, CFS and Myofascial Pain: The Link
Underlying Causes Of Chronic Pain Syndromes Have Connection
Nov 13, 2008
Cumulative research spanning more than a decade indicates that three of the most baffling chronic pain conditions, fibromylagia, chronic fatigue syndrome and myofascial disorder have key underlying issues in common.
Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue and Myofascial Pain Syndrome All Linked to Two Major Body Disruptions
While these complex syndromes can be brought on by any combination of more than 100 factors such as: infection, trauma, an injury, a hormonal imbalance, chronic stress, yeast overgrowth, nutritional deficiencies, and any condition that disrupts sleep, the underlying issues that lead to fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue and myofascial pain is primarily the result of two key disruptions in the body.
Dr. Joseph Teitelbaum, an internist and director of the Annapolis Research Center for Effective CFS/Fibromyalgia Therapies, found during a study entitled, “Effective New Treatment Approaches for Fibromyalgia, CFS and Myofascial Pain,” (Journal of Musculoskeletal Pain 3 (1995): 91 to110), that two critical mechanisms in the body are disrupted in patients with FMS, CFS or MPS.
- The major control center in the brain, the hypothalamus, is suppressed. The hypothalamus controls sleep, the hormonal system, temperature, and blood flow / blood pressure.
- The cells in the body experience an “energy crisis.” The mitochondria, the cell’s power generator, uses a sugar called ribose to make energy molecules for the body. Ribose is a component in one of the blueprints for life, DNA. Some people don’t create enough ribose in their body which causes a decrease in energy and an increase in pain.
Chronic Pain Linked to Hypothalmic Suppression To Mechanisms in Muscle Shortening
For a half-century, Dr. Janet Travell, the White House physician for Presidents Kennedy and Johnson and author of “The Trigger Point Manual,” studied chronic pain and found that the same issues causing hypothalamic suppression resulted in muscles staying in the shortened position. Chronic muscle shortening leads to myofascial and fibromyalgia pain.
Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Myofascial Pain Treatment: Address "SHIN" issues.
After addressing the four "SHIN" issues below in their test subjects, Dr. Teitelbaum’s research team found that 91% of CFS/Fibromylagia patients improved with a 90% improvement in their quality of life.
S - Disordered Sleep - Most patients with these chronic illnesses have chronic sleep disruption, particularly in the deep phase that provides restorative rest. This partly occurs because hypothalamic function is critical to deep sleep. Many common insomnia medications actually aggravate sleep disorders because they decrease the amount of time someone spends in deep sleep.
Natural remedies that improve sleep duration and quality include the amino acid L-theanine, calcium, magnesium, 5-HTP, melatonin, and herbs such as Jamaican Dogwood, Wild lettuce, Valerian, Passionflower, and Hops. Use caution with herbs as they can harm the liver with extended use. Every three months discontinue use and replace with an over the counter non-habit forming sleep aid if necessary.
H - Hormonal Deficiencies - The hypothalamus is the main control center for most glands in the body, yet most of the normal ranges for blood tests don’t take hypothalamic suppression into consideration. Some physicians recommend (although it is controversial) supplementing with thyroid, adrenal, ovarian or testicular hormones, (in very small doses), even when blood tests show “normal” ranges. Growth hormones, produced in the body during deep sleep, have been found to improve fibromyalgia, but they must be injected and are usually cost prohibitive for most people.
I - Unusual Infections - Studies show that immune system dysfunction is a contributor to fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue and myofascial pain syndrome. Unusual infections include viral infections, parasites and other bowel infections, infections sensitive to long-term treatment with the antibiotics Cipro and Doxycycline (e.g. mycoplasma, chlamydia, Lyme’s, etc) and fungal infections.
N- Nutritional Supplementation - The western diet is one of most highly processed in the world which can lead people to have nutritional deficiencies, another key contributor to FMS, CFS and MPS. Bowel infections or digestive disorders can also cause poor absorption of key nutrients. The most important nutrients for these conditions are the B vitamins, antioxidants (vitamin C and E), minerals -- particularly magnesium, zinc, and selenium, and amino acids (proteins).
While Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue and Myofascial Pain Syndrome continue to challenge patients and their doctors, research linking the underlying causes provides a solid framework for practitioners to create a reliable diagnostic tool and effective treatment plan for all three illnesses.
