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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:
Loneliness is the Most Terrible Poverty
I’m lonely.
I can’t even describe my loneliness
…Mommy is stuck in bed: she can’t move (and Mommy, don’t feel guilty – you are entitled to rest and get better)…Thais is now in India (and Thais, no feeling bad – you keep having fun and sending back photos…the boy that I may have been interested in (and who I had hoped may help me escape this total solitude) is out-of-bounds…and I can’t confide in my cousin/friend (who ‘called’ the boy out of bounds) because I am still angry that she has imprisoned me in my isolation (whether the boy and I worked out or not)…
The last few days I have stayed in the same pyjamas, not leaving the house – swimming in my seclusion. Is there a record for how long some-one can stay in one pair of pyjamas non-stop?
I’m looking forward to the hospital because I’m hoping the higher dose of ketamine will let me sleep for the whole week – that’s a week less loneliness! (And I’ve organised extra posts for this blog, just in case I am unable to string two words together.)
I’m realising that I have nothing to do – no work, no friends, no life – and I’m hitting the ‘now what?’ time. I can’t be bothered with anything – it’s just sad. Despondency is the only word I can think of.
I tried to distract myself by starting a new website – it’ll be called fibromodem.com – and putting everything in the one place. All I got was brain frazzled (and couldn’t do anything for 2 days – good thing that I save some extra research posts for such occasions)! The website will be up soon…it just seems that I need a little more time than I originally thought. I HATE that I can’t have what I want immediately (especially when I’m using it to hide from myself!)
I have no idea how to fix this problem. I have no idea how to meet any new people. I have no idea why all my old friends are gone.
I know that all of you (whether you’re married, attached or single) understand this without me having to find the right words, and I realise that many of you look to me for some answers; but this time, I have no solutions.
Related articles
- It’s Okay To Be Lonely (thoughtcatalog.com)
- ‘Loneliness can weaken your immune system’ (thehindu.com)
- The loneliness epidemic (guardian.co.uk)
- Attention Single, Divorced and/or Friendless
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…
Lab Rats Wanted
Are you willing to put your body on the line? Or might you be at the end of your tether and willing to try anything?
As it is beyond me to list EVERY research study on FM, here are all the studies that are currently recruiting in the top 6 countries where my blog is being read:
*** If you live in another country, visit ClinicalTrials.gov, then enter your country and ‘fibromyalgia’ in the search box…you never know what you might find ***
Australia
NIL
Canada
A Phase 3b Multicenter Study of Pregabalin in Fibromyalgia Subjects Who Have Comorbid Depression
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Drug: Pregabalin; Drug: placebo
The Impact of Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplements on Fibromyalgia Symptoms
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Dietary Supplement: Omega-3 (oil); Dietary Supplement: Fatty Acids (placebo)
Online Acceptance-based Behavioural Treatment for Fibromyalgia
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Behavioural: Acceptance-based behavioural therapy; Other: Will vary per participant
India
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Drug: placebo; Drug: pregabalin (Lyrica)
A Study of Duloxetine in Adolescents With Juvenile Primary Fibromyalgia Syndrome
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Drug: Duloxetine; Drug: Placebo
Pregabalin In Adolescent Patients With Fibromyalgia
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Drug: pregabalin
Israel
Prevalence of Fibromyalgia in Israel
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions:
Effect of Milnacipran in Patients With Fibromyalgia
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Drug: Minalcipran; Drug: Placebo
Peripheral Arterial Tonometry (PAT) Evaluation of Sleep in Fibromyalgia
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions:
Study Assessing the Efficacy of Etoricoxib in Female Patients With Fibromyalgia
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Drug: etoricoxib
Cognitive Dysfunction in Fibromyalgia Patients
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions:
United Kingdom
NIL
United States of America
Observational Study of Control Participants for the MAPP Research Network
Conditions: Fibromyalgia; Irritable Bowel Syndrome; Chronic Fatigue Syndrome,
Interventions:
Pain and Stress Management for Fibromyalgia
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Behavioural: Stress and Emotions; Behavioural: Thoughts and Behaviours; Behavioural: Brain and Body
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Drug: placebo; Drug: pregabalin (Lyrica)
A Phase 3b Multicenter Study of Pregabalin in Fibromyalgia Subjects Who Have Comorbid Depression
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Drug: Pregabalin; Drug: placebo
A Study of Duloxetine in Adolescents With Juvenile Primary Fibromyalgia Syndrome
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Drug: Duloxetine; Drug: Placebo
Pregabalin In Adolescent Patients With Fibromyalgia
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Drug: Pregabalin
Combined Behavioural and Analgesic Trial for Fibromyalgia
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Drug: Tramadol; Drug: Placebo; Behavioural: Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for FM; Behavioural: Health Education
Quetiapine Compared With Placebo in the Management of Fibromyalgia
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Drug: quetiapine; Drug: Placebo
Cyclobenzaprine Extended Release (ER) for Fibromyalgia
Conditions: Fibromyalgia; Pain; Sleep; Fatigue
Interventions: Drug: cyclobenzaprine ER (AMRIX); Drug: placebo
Tai Chi and Aerobic Exercise for Fibromyalgia (FMEx)
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Behavioural: Lower frequency, shorter period of Tai Chi; Behavioural: Higher frequency, shorter period of Tai Chi; Behavioural: Shorter frequency, longer period of Tai Chi; Behavioural: Higher frequency, longer period of Tai Chi; Behavioural: Aerobic Exercise Training
Effects of Direct Transcranial Current Stimulation on Central Neural Pain Processing in Fibromyalgia
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Procedure: Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS)
Lifestyle Physical Activity to Reduce Pain and Fatigue in Adults With Fibromyalgia
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Behavioural: Lifestyle physical activity (LPA); Behavioural: Fibromyalgia education
Neurotropin to Treat Fibromyalgia
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Neurotropin
Effect of Milnacipran on Pain in Fibromyalgia
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Drug: Neurotropin
Investigation of Avacen Thermal Exchange System for Fibromyalgia Pain
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Device: AVACEN Thermal Exchange System
Phase 2 Study of TD-9855 to Treat Fibromyalgia
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Drug: TD-9855 Group 1; Drug: TD-9855 Group 2; Drug: Placebo
Cymbalta for Fibromyalgia Pain
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Drug: Duloxetine
Effects of Milnacipran on Widespread Mechanical and Thermal Hyperalgesia of Fibromyalgia Patients
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Drug: Milnacipran
Qigong Exercise May Benefit Patients With Fibromyalgia
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Behavioural: Intervention Group; Behavioural: Placebo Comparator: Control Group
Effect of Temperature on Pain and Brown Adipose Activity in Fibromyalgia
Conditions: Fibromyalgia, Pain
Interventions:
Effect of Milnacipran in Patients With Fibromyalgia
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Drug: Minalcipran; Drug: Placebo
The Pathogenesis of Idiopathic Dry Eyes
Conditions: Dry Eye, Fibromyalgia
Interventions:
Evaluation and Diagnosis of People With Pain and Fatigue Syndromes
Conditions: Fatigue; Fibromyalgia; Pain; Complex Regional Pain Syndrome; Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy
Interventions:
The Functional Neuroanatomy of Catastrophizing: an fMRI Study
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Behavioural: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy; Behavioural: Education
A Placebo-Controlled Trial of Pregabalin (Lyrica) for Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Conditions: Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Interventions: Drug: Pregabalin (Lyrica); Drug: Placebo
A No-Win Situation
Many of us suffer from depression, as well as FM. But did you suffer from this horrible black dog before you developed FM, or after?
You’ve heard people complain that they’re depressed after a breakup, a layoff, or an overall terrible week. But are these people really experiencing depression? Are you really depressed?
When a stressful situation is particularly hard to cope with, we react with symptoms of sadness, fear, or even hopelessness — a type of reaction that’s often referred to as situational depression. Unlike major depression, when you are overwhelmed by depression symptoms for a long time, situational depression usually goes away once you have adapted to your new situation.
The problem for a lot of us is that FM is not going away – we can only manage it, so we need to adapt to our new situations as soon as we can.
In fact, situational depression is usually considered an adjustment disorder rather than true depression. But that doesn’t mean it should be ignored: If situational depression goes untreated, it could develop into major depression.
“Situational depression means that the symptoms are set off by some set of circumstances or event. It could lead to major depression or simply be a period of grief,” explains Kathleen Franco, MD, professor of medicine and psychiatry at Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine in Ohio. However, she adds that situational depression may need treatment “if emotional and behavioural symptoms reduce normal functioning in social or occupational arenas.”
Who Gets Situational Depression and Why?
Situational depression is common and can happen to anyone — about 10 per cent of adults and up to 30 per cent of adolescents experience this condition at some point. Men and women are affected equally.
The most common cause of situational depression is stress. Some typical events that lead to it include:
- Loss of a relationship
- Loss of a job
- Loss of a loved one
- Serious illness (hello? anyone recognising themselves here?)
- Experiencing a traumatic event such as a disaster, crime, or accident
What Are the Symptoms of Situational Depression?
The most common symptoms of situational depression are depressed mood, tearfulness, and feelings of hopelessness. Some other symptoms include:
Feeling nervous- Having body symptoms such as headache, stomach ache, or heart palpitations
- Missing work, school, or social activities
- Changes in sleeping or eating habits
- Feeling tired
- Abusing alcohol or drugs
How Is Situational Depression Diagnosed and Treated?
A diagnosis of situational depression, or adjustment disorder with depressed mood, is made when symptoms of depression occur within three months of a stress-causing event; are more severe than expected; or interfere with normal functioning. Your doctor may do tests to rule out other physical illnesses, and you may need a psychological evaluation to make sure you are not suffering from a more serious condition such as post-traumatic stress disorder or a more serious type of depression.
The best treatment for situational depression is counselling with a mental health professional. The goal of treatment is to help you cope with your stress and get back to normal. Support groups are often helpful. In some cases, you may need medication to help control anxiety or for trouble sleeping.
Situational depression and other types of depression are a common problem today, notes James C. Overholser, PhD, professor of psychology at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. “Many people are struggling with social isolation, financial limitations, or chronic health problems,” says Dr Overholser. “A psychologist is much more likely to view depression as a reaction to negative life events. Many people can overcome their depression by making changes in their attitudes, their daily behaviours, and their interpersonal functioning.”
If you have (or think you have) situational depression, you should know that most people get completely better within about six months after the stressful event. However, it is important to get help, because situational depression can lead to a more severe type of depression or substance abuse if untreated. For many people with situational depression, the coping skills they learn in treatment can become valuable tools to help them face the future.
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
