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Dance of Life
Biodance, more commonly known as biodanza, literally means the dance of life.
It is described in Wikipedia as “a system of self-development that uses music, movement and positive feelings to deepen self-awareness. It seeks to promote the ability to make a holistic link to oneself, emotions and to express them. Biodanza also claims to allow one to deepen the bonds with others and nature and to express those feelings congenially.”
Biodanza was created in Chile in the 1960s and is now practiced in at least 30 countries.
To analyse the effects of an aquatic biodance based therapy on sleep quality, anxiety, depression, pain and quality of life in FM patients, researchers assigned 59 patients to 2 groups: experimental group (aquatic biodance) and control group (stretching), for 12 weeks.
Significant differences in the experimental group were seen on sleep quality (49.7%), anxiety (14.1%), impact of fibromyalgia (18.3%), pain (27.9%), and tender points (34.4%).
This video discusses and demonstrates what Biodanza is all about.
In this next video, Biodanza is performed in the water. Although the voice on the video is speaking Portuguese, you can still see what Aquatic Biodanza looks like even if you don’t understand Portuguese.
Anyone tried this one yet?
Pull the Trigger
Trigger point injections (TPI) is an option many of us choose to treat pain.
TPI is a procedure used to treat painful areas of muscle that contain trigger points, or knots of muscle that form when muscles do not relax. Many times, such knots can be felt under the skin. Trigger points may irritate the nerves around them and cause referred pain, or pain that is felt in another part of the body.
TPI is used to treat many muscle groups, especially those in the arms, legs, lower back, and neck. In addition, TPI can be used to treat FM and tension headaches. The technique is also used to alleviate myofascial pain syndrome that does not respond to other treatments.
What Happens During a Trigger Point Injection?
In the TPI procedure, a health care professional inserts a small needle into the patient’s trigger point. The injection contains a local anesthetic that sometimes includes a corticosteroid. With the injection, the trigger point is made inactive and the pain is alleviated. Usually, a brief course of treatment will result in sustained relief.
Injections are given in a doctor’s office and usually take just a few minutes. Several sites may be injected in one visit. If a patient has an allergy to a certain drug, a dry-needle technique (involving no medications) can be used.
The effectiveness of TPI for treating myofascial pain is still under study.
Further Reading:
Blast Off -2 days
Two days until the beginning of the hospital visit (again!)
When we (the Team: my pain specialist, Mommy and me) decided we were going to try this ketamine thing again, my doctor suggested we put in a central line instead of trying to find veins for a cannula.
You might remember I had a lot of trouble with cannulae last time: 6 wonderful needles into my veins instead of what should have been only 2 or 3, and then, finally, a subcutaneous cannula in my tummy – to which I had a horrible reaction. So you can imagine how happy I was to hear that this wasn’t going to happen again.
In fact, I was so happy that I didn’t bother to ask any questions…off to Google I go, and now I’m a bit worried…
A temporary central line is a short-term, long, fine catheter placed in a vein, with an opening at each end used to deliver fluids and drugs. The central line is inserted through the skin into a large vein that feeds into a larger vein sitting above the heart, so that the tip of the catheter sits close to the heart. There are several veins that are suitable for access, and the line may be inserted above or below the collarbone, on the side of your neck, in your groin or at the front of the elbow. The actual skin entry site depends on which vein is used. AAAARGGHHHHH! I am really hoping they choose above the elbow – I seem to have gotten that impression from the doctor.
So, at 9am on Wednesday morning, I am expected to arrive at the Radiology department of one hospital, where an interventional radiologist will use x-ray and ultrasound guidance along with minimally invasive techniques to insert a special hollow needle. Supposedly, I will be under conscious sedation (a twilight sleep) and be given pain medication in order to minimize any discomfort. Bit, it really is beginning to sound VERY scary!
A tourniquet will be applied to my arm (hopefully – I really don’t like the idea of a needle going anywhere near my neck!) and the area is cleaned and draped; a local anaesthetic is injected into the skin near the vein. The catheter will be inserted through the needle, threaded through the vein and positioned so the tip of the catheter is in the large vein that carries blood into the heart.
Next, about 3 hours later (or so I’ve been told, although my Google searches says it only takes an hour), I will go to another hospital. No, blood will NOT be gushing from the protruding tube! When the line is not in use, a plastic cap and a clamp to prevent leaking of blood close any part of the line that sits outside the body. It should be secured with a “Stat lock” device (ie without stitches), and can be left in position for several weeks to months as long as it does not become infected. Thank God I only have to have it in for a week!
And, then, the ketamine experience will begin again…
Abracadabra Update 2
Guess what? I’m going back to hospital for another ketamine infusion on January 30th. Yes, I’m doing it to myself AGAIN!
This time, my own pain specialist is going to run the whole procedure; it’s a different hospital, which means different nurses; and we’re going up to a higher dose.
My headaches are still under control but it feels like the previous infusion stopped at my elbows and knees – the pain in my wrists, lower arms, calves and ankles feels amplified. My head is clear – there are still no words in it! And I still haven’t adjusted to the difference in my energy levels and fatigue on-set.
But, I’m hopeful (sort of)….and it’s seven days in hospital – so I will be trying to quit smoking AGAIN!
Related articles
- Abracadabra Update (fibromodem.wordpress.com)
- Abracadabra! And the Pain has Disappeared
Doctor: Fibro? No, You Have a Mental Disorder!
Do you:
- have a disproportionate thoughts about the seriousness of your symptom(s)?
- have a high level of anxiety about your symptoms or health?
- Devote excessive time and energy to your symptoms or health concerns?
Almost everyone who has FM has had at least one of these reactions – especially during the time before you get an accurate diagnosis. It would be unusual not to have serious concerns about your health when you’re experiencing symptoms severe enough to disrupt your daily life and you don’t know what is causing them.
Well, guess what? You might have a mental disorder, according to the soon to be released 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), commonly known as the DSM-5.
The DSM is published by the American Psychiatric Association and is the standard classification of mental disorders. It includes the diagnostic codes, a set of diagnostic criteria and additional information on each disorder.
The problem with the DSM-5 is there is a new diagnostic category called “Somatic Symptom Disorder.” According to the diagnostic criteria, a person can be diagnosed with Somatic Symptom Disorder (SSD) if for at least six months, they have had one or more symptoms that are distressing and/or disruptive to their daily life, and they have one of above listed reactions.
According to these criteria, 1 in 6 people with cancer and heart disease; 1 in 4 with irritable bowel and FM; and 1 in 14 who are not even medically ill, will be diagnosed with SSD. Are you kidding me?!?
For us, this could mean that if any one doctor at any point in time feels like you’re a little too concerned about your symptoms or your health, he/she can diagnose you with SSD and you will forever after be labelled as having a mental disorder. And once you have that label, how seriously do you think other doctors are going to take your symptoms? How much time do you think doctors will spend trying to identify the physical cause of your pain if they think you have a mental disorder that makes you overly concerned about your health?
Dr Allen Frances
DSM-5 is about to go to the printers and is scheduled to be released in May 2013 – Our best hope is through Allen Frances, MD, who was the chair of the DSM-4 Task Force. Dr Frances suggested simple wording changes in the DSM 5 definition of SSD that would have tightened it significantly and reduced confusion at the difficult boundary between medical and mental illness.
His proposed new criteria set would have made it much clearer that the person’s concern about physical symptoms had to be ‘excessive’, ‘maladaptive’, ‘pervasive’, ‘persistent’, ‘intrusive’, ‘extremely anxiety provoking’, ‘disproportionate’, and ‘consuming enough time to cause significant disruption and impairment in daily life’. He has written an excellent article in Psychology Today on the dangers of adding SSD to the DSM-5: Mislabeling Medical Illness As Mental Disorder.
We need to get the press, insurance companies, and our elected officials involved in this issue. If Dr Frances can show the press that thousands of people are reading and commenting on his articles, the press may be persuaded to take an interest in this issue.
Elected officials and insurance companies may take an interest if they can be made to see that a diagnosis of SSD will lead to added Medicare, Medicaid, and health insurance costs in the form of unneeded therapy and psychotropic drugs. In addition, this misdiagnosis raises the risk that underlying physical causes of an illness will be ignored and this may lead to an illness going undiagnosed until the point when treatment will result in even more costly medical care. This will drive up health care costs for both government and insurance companies.
If you want to get involved, here’s what you can do: share this article with others; contact members of the press (especially medical reporters such as Drs Sanjay Gupta or Nancy Snyderman); and contact your elected officials. I encourage you to click on the link to his article, make a brief comment, tweet his article and/or share it on Facebook, to support his stand. The more page views and comments he has, the better his chance of persuading the editors of the DSM-5 to make a last-minute change.
Dr David Kupfer – Task Force Chair
Dr Joel Dimsdale – Head of the Somatic Symptom Disorders Work Group.
Additionally, you can contact Dr David J. Kupfer – the Task Force Chair at kupferdj@upmc.edu. Dr Joel E. Dimsdale – head of the Somatic Symptom Disorders Work Group – can be contacted at jdimsdale@ucsd.edu.
Related articles
- DSM-5 rejects call for urgent reconsideration of new “Somatic Symptom Disorder” category (dxrevisionwatch.com
- Your Physical Illness May Now Be Labeled a Mental Disorder
- DSM-5 rejects call for urgent reconsideration of new “Somatic Symptom Disorder” category
- Bad News: DSM 5 Refuses to Correct Somatic Symptom Disorder
- Fibromyalgia in Danger of Being Labeled a Mental Disorder
Good Vibrations
Vibration can help reduce some types of pain, including pain from FM, by more than 40 per cent, according to a new study published online in the European Journal of Pain.
When high-frequency vibrations from an instrument were applied to painful areas, pain signals may have been prevented from travelling to the central nervous system, explains Roland Staud, MD, professor of rheumatology and clinical immunology in the University of Florida College of Medicine in Gainesville.
If you think of a pain impulse having to travel through a gate to cause discomfort, the vibrations are closing that gate. “When the gate is open, you feel the pain from the stimulus. It goes to the spinal cord. When you apply vibration you close the gate partially,” says Dr Staud. You can still feel some pain, but less than you would have felt without the vibrations, he adds.
Subjects were split into 3 groups: 29 had FM, 19 had chronic neck and back pain and 28 didn’t have any pain at all. Dr Staud and his research team applied about five seconds of heat to introduce pain to each participant’s arms and followed that with five seconds of vibrations from an electric instrument that emits high-frequency vibrations that are absorbed by skin and deep tissue.
A biothesiometer
Dr Staud used a biothesiometer, an electric vibrator (not THAT kind of vibrator – get your mind out of the gutter!) with a plastic foot plate that can be brought into contact with the patient’s skin.
Compact TENS
Similarly, you could buy/borrow a Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulator (TENS), which is a medical device, designed specifically for the purpose of assisting in the treatment and management of chronic and acute pain; and it does exactly what Dr Staud is suggesting. I am currently borrowing a compact TENS machine. The pulse rate is adjustable from 1-200 Hz.
Following the use of heat and vibration, patients were asked to rate the intensity of their pain on a 0-to-10 scale and found that the experimental pain, as opposed to their chronic pain, was reduced by more than 40 per cent with the use of vibration. What was of particular interest was that the patients in the study with FM appeared to have the same mechanisms in their body to block or inhibit pain through the use of vibration as those in the pain-free group.
“Fibromyalgia patients are often said to have insufficient pain mechanisms, which means they can’t regulate their pain as well as regular individuals. This study showed that in comparison to normal controls, they could control their pain as well,” Dr Staud explains.
What they don’t know is how long the pain relieving effects will last.
I used the TENS on my arms two days ago and the pain has not returned (yet! Knock on wood!) If I choose to buy it, it will cost me $175.00 from www.tensaustralia.com.au
Dr Howard, a rheumatologist and director of Arthritis Health in Scottsdale, Ariz., says this study is still very interesting. “Vibration is another way of minimizing pain, and it sounded like it would be more helpful for regional or local pain rather than widespread pain,” he says.
Dr Staud says this theory is still very much in the testing stages and the vibrating instrument used in this study isn’t available to the public. “Although we didn’t test it, I think that the size of the foot plate of the biothesiometer is relevant. I wouldn’t suggest that everybody should go out and by any vibrator to use for pain relief. But pending a commercial product this is entirely feasible,” he explains.
Until then, Dr Staud’s message for patients is that vibration involves touch, and that can provide pain relief.
Dr Howard agrees that this study reinforces the importance of touch therapy, like massage, and even movement therapy, like gentle exercise, for people with chronic pain.
“When you have pain, you want to stop what you’re doing and protect the area. But for some types of pain that’s not the right thing to do,” Dr Howard says.
You do, however, need to know what types of pain touch is good for and for which ones it isn’t. Dr Howard says his general rule is to baby your joints and bully your muscles.
“Fibromyalgia patients often shrink away from touch therapy and movement. The foundation of treatment is to use movement and touch and stimulus to help with their pain, but their natural reaction is to withdraw and avoid tactile activity. Don’t be afraid. Don’t avoid it,” Dr Howard says.
Good forms of touch therapy include massage and the use of temperature – both hot and cold. Good forms of movement therapy include tai chi, yoga and swimming/warm water exercising.
Related articles
Bigger is NOT Better
There is a current ad in Australia about the 10,000 tonne woman. This woman has got a bit of weight to lose this year – she is asking for our help. She has been a weight loss consultant for years, so she has seen a lot of people try to lose weight, and the difference support makes. Why are we trying to do it by ourselves? She decided to lose weight with a friend, as a team. Then other people got on board, and then she noticed that the more people shared the weight, the easier it got for everyone.
That’s why she is asking the whole country to join in. Pledge some weight, support someone on their mission, and we’re going to lose 10,000 tonnes together.
I have pledged 30kgs (about 66 pounds) – yes, it’s a lot but it is the amount of weight I have gained since being on antidepressants and FM medication. It is ironic that, although many of these medications cause us to gain weight, excess weight is known to aggravate FM symptoms – such as pain sensitivity and sleep disturbances – and reduce quality of life among patients.
New research now shows, the more severe the obesity, the more severe the FM symptoms, and those who have a body mass index, or BMI, of 35 or higher experience the worst symptoms.
“I’m not surprised,” says study co-author Terry H. Oh, MD, assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, Minn. She says that earlier studies have shown that obesity increases symptoms, but there hadn’t been concrete information before this study about whether different levels of obesity affected FM symptoms differently.
In other words, is all obesity the same when it comes to FM?
The answer is no: Bigger definitely is worse, leading to significantly more severe symptoms. “The severely obese seemed to have the most problems,” says Dr Oh.
The study, published online in the journal Arthritis Care & Research, divided 888 adults with FM into four groups: non-obese (BMI less than 25), overweight (BMI of 25 to 29.9), moderately obese (BMI of 30 to 34.9) and severely obese (BMI equal to or greater than 35). Patients were tracked for three years, underwent a physical evaluation and were asked to fill out health surveys and the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire.
The researchers found – for most symptoms, but not all – that as the BMI category increased, so did the severity of the symptoms. But trends showed most symptoms worsened with higher BMI, but for the most part, the difference in the severity of symptoms was statistically significant for the highest BMI group compared with the other groups. Patients in the highest BMI group, for example, missed work more often because of symptoms and reported more pain, stiffness and fatigue compared with those who were not obese or less obese. Also, the study found that the severely obese patients had more tender points on their bodies and worse physical functioning than the non-obese and less obese.
Why is there a relationship between BMI and the severity of symptoms? Dr Oh and her team write that multiple factors may be at work, including a higher level of pain receptors in fat tissue, elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, loss of physical fitness and an increase in mechanical loads on the body. And the higher rate of obesity in FM patients “may be caused by a vicious circle of pain and physical inactivity.”
It is important that people with fibromyalgia find a way to stay active despite the chronic pain and fatigue that come with it.
“Those who are severely obese may need more help for weight-loss management,” Dr Oh says. “The basic message is that they have to stay active and exercise by starting slowly and gradually in terms of duration, intensity and frequency. It’s more than saying ‘lose weight.’ They need specific recommendations or to see a dietitian or endocrinologist or get other treatment options.”
Akiko Okifuji, PhD, a psychologist at the Pain Research and Management Center and professor at the University of Utah, in Salt Lake City, conducted earlier research on FM and obesity, which found that obese patients had more pain, less physical strength and more sleep problems.
“Both obesity and fibromyalgia are very different persistent conditions that impact overall health, physical well-being as well as quality of life,” Okifuji says.
She believes people intuitively know what Dr Oh’s study showed – that severe obesity is bad for FM patients. “But it’s good to show it scientifically,” Okifuji says. “Patients need proper nutritional education. It is difficult when you don’t move much. Sometimes food becomes a comfort. They need education on how to deal with that and how to maximize calorie burning while minimizing intake. When dealing with chronic fatigue and chronic pain, it is very difficult to do weight management. The key issue for the scientific and clinical community is to come up with an effective [weight management plan] for people who can’t move that much. It’s a tricky thing.”
Mine is 39 and I have decided it is time to get myself together! Anyone else with me?
FibroDaily…starring ME!!!
Recently, I was interviewed for FibroDaily’s Fibro Warrior of the Week. The post came out today and WOW! I sound great (even if I do say so myself!) You can see the interview HERE; or just read my copy and paste…
Our fourth FWOTW is nothing short of a triple fibro threat! Simone (aka FibroModem) does more to give back to the fibro community than just about anyone. Between blogging, creating her cartoon, running her online fibro awareness store, and promoting her Visible Army campaign, she hardly has time for flare ups! Most of all, we love her ability to find humor in fibro, make us laugh, so maybe we can even forget about it for a minute. -FD
FD: Tell us a bit about yourself – Where were you born, where do you live now, family, interests, etc.
Simone: I was born and bred in Melbourne, Victoria in Australia. I am single, live alone and I have Fibromyalgia. I was 40 before I had even heard about Fibromyalgia.
I used to work in hotels, on cruise ships and in casinos. Then I decided (at the age of 34) that this kind of work was not challenging enough so I spent 6 years working (in the ‘real’ world – Crown Casino) and studying (in ‘academia’) to get my law degree. About halfway through my studies, I had (what I call) a major breakdown.
I stopped working – I was broken. No getting out of bed. No getting in the shower. No getting dressed. I was depressed. I had depression. It took about 3 years to swim out of those murky waters (with lots of drugs acting as my life-preserver!)
For some reason the only thing that kept me going was my studies. Maybe it was the opportunity to start a new life, to get away from shift-work, or to live within the mainstream – but whatever it was, my studies saved me (I was never suicidal. I always thought that it had to get better than THIS otherwise how did other people survive. My psychologist said I was a very positive depressed person!) and I made it through.
Finally, with the help of my family, drugs and counseling – graduation!
I was able to ‘practice’ law for one whole month before the debilitating purple wave took over my life – FIBROMYALGIA!
Unlike many, I have NOT learned to manage this condition (don’t talk to me about pacing! I have too much to do!) so I am not working and I spend a lot of time on my couch sharing my thoughts and attempts at a life with my new friends on Facebook, Twitter and my blog: fibromodem.wordpress.com.
I love trying and learning new things – I really believe that I can do anything! So I try everything (and there’s the reason we won’t talk about pacing!) I love my nieces and nephews (and their parents) beyond anything I could ever imagine. I love my Mommy – who is the best and most supportive mother (and person) in the entire world. And I love being able to link up with people all over the world to support each other.
FD: When did you first suspect that something wasn’t right? What happened?
Simone: In about 2007, about halfway through my (mature-age) studies, I had (what I call) a major breakdown.
I stopped working – I was broken. No getting out of bed. No getting in the shower. No getting dressed. I was depressed. I had depression. It took about 3 years to swim out of those murky waters (with lots of drugs acting as my life-preserver).
For some reason the only thing that kept me going was my studies. Maybe it was the opportunity to start a new life, to get away from shift-work, or to live within the mainstream – but whatever it was, my studies saved me (I was never suicidal. I always thought that it had to get better than THIS otherwise how did other people survive. My psychologist said I was a very positive depressed person!) and I made it through.
With the help of my family, drugs and counseling – graduation! But I never got back to full throttle.
I was only able to ‘practice’ law for one whole month before the debilitating purple wave took over my life – FIBROMYALGIA! I believe that the depressive episode was the beginning of my fibro onset.
FD: When were you diagnosed with Fibromyalgia?
Simone: November 2011.
FD: When you received your diagnosis, how did it affect you?
Simone: At the time, I let out a big sigh of relief – I finally had a diagnosis: I wasn’t crazy; but, little did I know that a diagnosis wasn’t going to lead to an immediate, successful treatment.
FD: Since then, how has your outlook on life changed?
Simone: I still believe that ‘it has to get better than this’ so I have not returned to my depression at all (knock on wood!). There just MUST be something out there in the whole wide world that can help – we just have to find it.
The part of fibro that I have appreciated is the time it has forced upon me: time to walk up the street and meet all the local shopkeepers, time to spend time with my nieces and nephews, time to try lots of new things.
FD: How does Fibro affect your day-to-day life?
Simone: I wake up – it feels like my body has melted into my mattress, so it is with great difficulty that I drag myself up and out of bed. Sometime during the night, the bones in my feet broke while I was sleeping (yes! that’s the only description I have for how my feet feel while I try to get them moving in the morning). And up. Head spinning. Need to wrench open door with two hands as power has not been fully restored to my wrists. Guess what? The bones in my hands (what’s the area between your wrists and your fingers called?) were in the same tragic accident as my feet.
Slowly, I move towards the kitchen for my medication, then to the couch – for about 2 hours – until my body catches up to the waking up process.
I no longer work as I cannot offer any reliability to an employer or clients but I have kept myself busy with my Facebook page, blog, Fibromyalgia Awareness Shop and Twitter. I have a continuing awareness project called the VISIBLE Army for all sufferers and supporters.
FD: What can’t you do anymore because of Fibro?
Simone: No more playing squash with my father; no more working; no more all day shopping trips; and, limited driving.
FD: Name something you do now that you never would have imagined happening before your diagnosis.
Simone: Lots and lots of things: many of us think we’re stuck – nothing is going to change, this is it, this is my life! But why? There are still so many things we can do – and, for those of us stuck at home, perhaps an opportunity to try something new.
Since being diagnosed, I have:
- Attended my first burlesque performance
- Attended my first hydrotherapy class
- Started my first Facebook page
- Attended my first Bowen therapy treatment
- Went to the Doggy beach for the first time
- Wrote my first Blog post
- Made my first video
- Opened my first Fibro awareness store
- Attended my first Pilates session
- Attended my first Yoga session
- Attended my first Tai Chi class
- Had my 2 year old nephew sleep over for the first time
- Produced my first cartoon character (FibroModem Girl)
- Published my first E-mag – LIVING WELL with FIBROMYALGIA
- Attended my first Shiatsu treatment
- Attended my first reflexology session
FD: What has been your experience with seeking medical treatment for Fibro?
Simone: The medical professionals, who I have seen, have been very helpful for diagnosis but are too ready to give up – the number of times I have heard ‘that’s all I can do for you’ can lead to depression! We NEED a young, motivated doctor – some-one who is still positive and wants to be the best! some-one who wants to discover new things, who wants to be published, who is willing to experiment with new things! It seems that the older the doctor, the more jaded he has become! We need a few “CHANGE THE WORLD” kind of doctors!
FD: How has Fibro affected your relationships, friends, family, partners?
Simone: I have become even closer to my Mommy AND I have been lucky enough to re-discover a friendship that means the world to me. BUT other than those two relationships, everyone else has disappeared – sad but true.
FD: What is the biggest challenge you face living with fibro?
Simone: Loneliness.
FD: What inspires you to keep on fighting?
Simone: Actually I don’t know – perhaps it is the nagging thought that ‘it has to get better than this!’
FD: What advice do you have for other people who are living with Fibro?
Simone: Put an end to family secrets. Don’t try to protect your friends and family from bad news – communicate directly and openly with family members.
Include your children – even though their understanding of the illness may be limited, children appreciate being told what’s going on around them. Otherwise, children may believe that they are the cause of the serious illness or other events around them. Be open and honest with them, and allow them to ask questions.
Be selective about who you talk to about the illness. Choose carefully those with whom you’d like to share information about this illness. What matters is that sharing the information about the illness will provide a stronger sense of support and strength.
Be clear about how friends and family can help you. People love to feel useful, so don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Be your own advocate. It’s so hard to learn to speak up about your condition. It’s hard to talk about it sometimes. And it’s really hard to ask for special treatment if you’re not that kind of person. But be brave, and learn to ask for help when you need it.
Find a support group. Go to it. Take a family member or friend if you’re scared. It’s okay to be scared.
FD: Do you have a funny Fibro story you can share?
Simone: I find most things funny (mostly in a sad way) so I started a comic called FibroModem Girl – if you can’t laugh, you will only cry!
Need to laugh? See more FibroModem Girl.
Follow Simone on Twitter: @Fibromodem
Like Simone on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FMawareness2012
Check out FibroModem online:
FibroModem Blog
Fibromyalgia Awareness Shop
FibroModem Girl
More Sleep Confusion
I haven’t ‘met’ (well, I haven’t actually met any of you, but you know what I mean) any one of us who doesn’t suffer from an absolute heap of sleep problems. But it appears, according to a new report from BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, that link may be worse than previously thought. In fact, patients with FM may be plagued with even more sleep problems than other patients with chronic illnesses.
The report found that 88% of patients struggle with sleep, and 66% of those people have more than one sleep problem such as falling or staying asleep. The effects of sleep difficulties on patients’ quality of life appeared to be more severe for FM patients compared to patients with other disorders like back pain or osteoarthritis.
This suggests that addressing patients’ sleep issues could be a crucial component of managing FM, although another study (that I have reported about previously) suggests that there is absolutely no link between the amount of sleep and level of pain that we experience.
Previous research has also shown that having insomnia or sleep issues may increase your risk of developing fibromyalgia and other chronic pain conditions.
Hmmm…it looks like previous research can show absolutely anything it wants to!!!!
Related articles
- 10 Health Conditions That Disrupt Sleep (everydayhealth.com)
