Tag: research

Patients, Power, Participation: How Enrolling in Clinical Trials Can Help Ensure That The Future of Pain Medicine is Now

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Clinical trials

This piece has been entered in the Patients Have Power Writing Contest run by Clara Health designed to raise awareness about clinical trials.

“It’s a USB port for your brain, and it’s going to help you manage your fibromyalgia pain.” Imagine your doctor explaining this to you at your next appointment. She hands you the device – it looks like a headband with an electrode in the centre. “When the electrode makes contact with your forehead, it stimulates a nerve that connects directly with parts of the brain which regulate your nervous system. By wearing it twice a day for 20 minutes, your pain will be reduced and your mood will improve.” No drugs. No side effects.

Does this sound like science fiction? Amazingly, it may soon be a reality, thanks to a new clinical trial being conducted at the University of Cincinnati on an external Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation device. Research on these this device has shown positive results already for migraine, depression and PTSD.

Or how about sitting in a chair, drinking a cup of coffee, while a coil placed against the side of your head directs magnetic waves at areas deep inside your brain that are affected by fibromyalgia? This is called transcranial magnetic stimulation, and recent clinical studies have found significant pain reduction in people with fibromyalgia after twenty sessions spread over one month. These are just some of the next generation treatments for chronic pain currently being studied.

Since my diagnosis six years ago, I have tried dozens of treatments, prescribed by multiple specialists, with very limited results. I’m still unable to work full-time because of my chronic pain. The possibility that a new device, strategy or medication could reduce my pain so significantly that I could regain my activity levels seems like a dream just out of reach. I know that I’m not alone in this experience.

Given how critical it is for there to be safe and effective treatments for chronic pain, conducting new research has never been more urgent. I believe it is vitally important that people living with chronic conditions understand the research process and learn how they can advocate and participate in it, so that one day we can realize a world where chronic pain is easily treatable.

Participating in Research Trials: How to Ensure that the Future is Now

Treatment trials are necessary to get the gold stamp of approval for new medical interventions from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Research proves that a new drug or approach is effective and safe. This validation is necessary for doctors to find out about new treatments and for insurance companies to cover the costs.

Ultimately, the only way that new treatments can be developed is if patients join clinical trials. Participating in medical research is the most proactive way patients can contribute to improving how fibromyalgia is understood and treated. Personally, I find the thought of channeling my frustration at the lack of treatment options and taking action by enrolling in a research study exciting and empowering.

Participants in clinical trials have the opportunity to access cutting-edge therapies before they are made widely available, often at leading medical facilities. Experimental treatments can be appealing to individuals who have failed to benefit from conventional treatments. There is no cost to participate in medical research and health insurance is not required. Additionally, some studies compensate individuals who join the clinical trial.

What Safeguards Are in Place to Protect Participants During the Research Process?

Many people are reluctant to consider enrolling in clinical trials because they worry about the safety of being a research “guinea pig”. This is a natural response when confronted with the unknowns of a new treatment. When I did my own research into the safety of clinical trials, I was reassured by the rigorous process that is in place to protect patients. It’s important to be aware that all experimental treatments come with the risk of side effects – and these can range from unpleasant to life-threatening, depending on the nature of the medical intervention being studied. You should discuss any potential treatment trials you are considering enrolling in with your healthcare provider first!

Before a study can be conducted, it has to be assessed by an Institutional Review Board, which is made up of doctors and laypersons. They evaluate the design of the study to ensure that participants have their rights protected and are not exposed to undue risk.

In order to participate in a treatment trial, you must give informed consent. This means you have had the purpose and process of the study explained to you, including any and all potential risks, and that you understand you can leave the study any time.

When you think of clinical trials, you probably think of pharmaceutical drugs. But, did you know that many clinical trials focus on alternative and complementary therapies (like massage or acupuncture), mind/body therapies (like meditation), lifestyle changes (like exercise) and medical devices? Some people may be interested in participating in research studying these non-drug pain management strategies (like these arthritis clinical trials that don’t explore new drugs).

However, research on new pharmaceutical drugs is required to follow a lengthy series of trials and evaluations – actually more so than for any other medical intervention. New medications are only tested in human participants after years of research on tissues from animals and human cells, followed by testing in animal subjects to evaluate safety. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reviews this data before approving human testing of a new pharmaceutical. Clinical trials involving human participants must progress through three phases of testing before the FDA approves a new medication for widespread use. It’s no wonder that it takes years for new treatments to get approved!

Phase 1 – healthy volunteers are administered the medication in order to evaluate the safety of the medication on the liver, kidneys and other organs

Phase 2 – a group of participants who live with the targeted condition are administered the medication in order to assess its efficacy

Phase 3 – large-scale trials are conducted in order to demonstrate that the medication offers statistically significant benefits for the particular disorder, as well as assess its safety profile and adverse side effects

I hope that by having a better understanding of the research process, and the safeguards that are in place to protect participants, people living with poorly understood and undertreated conditions like fibromyalgia will consider joining clinical trials. It’s a very personal decision, and may not be right for everyone. But those who do participate will be helping others by contributing to new insights and better treatments for chronic illnesses. If you are interested in learning more about participating in clinical trials, or looking for research studies recruiting volunteers in your area check out Clara Health, https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ or http://www.centerwatch.com/.

References

Cort Johnson. (2016). ‘Coils, Lasers and USB Ports to the Brain: the Fibromyalgia Clinical Trials Overview.’ Health Rising. Retrieved June 1 2018 https://www.healthrising.org/blog/2016/12/17/fibromyalgia-clinical-trials-overview-2017/

NFMCPA. (n.d.) What are Clinical Trials and What to Consider about Participating. Retrieved June 1 2018 https://www.fmcpaware.org/what-are-clinical-trials-and-what-to-consider-about-participating

Tune In: How Listening to Music Improves Fibromyalgia

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Listening to music can reduce pain, improve functional mobility, increase sleep quality, and reduce depression in people with fibromyalgia.

How Listening to music improves fibromyalgia

It is a truth universally acknowledged that we may not all like the same music, but we all like music. Our favourite artists help us celebrate the good times, express our emotions in the difficult times, and while away the time in between.

I’ve seen many article headlines, written by authors with chronic illnesses, acknowledging the role that music has played in helping them get through flare-ups, and other health problems. I’m not going to lie though, around the time that I was diagnosed, I mostly stopped listening to music on my own. You know how a song can carry you back to a moment in your past, like a soundtrack to your memories? Well, I didn’t want to be transported back to a time when I was healthy and free, by listening now to the music I played then. I also didn’t feel like finding new music. I’m not sure why, except that I didn’t feel that certain joie de vivre it takes to explore new things in life.

Research on the Impact of Music on Fibromyalgia

Then, I came across a study that made me rethink this choice: Listening To Music Can Reduce Chronic Pain And Depression By Up To A Quarter.[1] Researchers found that when people with chronic pain listen to music for an hour a day, they experienced up to a 21% reduction in pain and a 25% reduction in depression. Another important finding was that listening to music made participants feel less disabled by their condition and more in control of their pain. It did not appear to matter whether individuals listened to their favourite music or relaxing music selected by the researchers.

I decided to do some further research to find out whether these findings applied to fibromyalgia. It seems that I wasn’t alone in asking that question. Several studies have investigated the impact of music on fibromyalgia.

A recent study looked at whether listening to a relaxing water and wave sound CD could reduce pain in individuals with fibromyalgia. There was a significant reduction in pain levels among participants who listened to the CD over a two week period, compared to a control group who did not listen to music at all. The study concluded by recommending music therapy for pain management in patients with fibromyalgia.[2] That’s an exciting finding, but since I don’t have access to the exact CD used in the study, how can I take advantage of these findings? I decided to delve a little bit deeper.

A second study investigated whether listening to your favourite music can reduce your pain levels if you live with fibromyalgia. One caveat of this study is that the self-chosen music was relaxing and pleasant. The study found that pain did indeed decrease after listening to music, becoming less intense and less unpleasant.[3] In addition, participants who listened to music also experienced improvements in their functional mobility, measured by the ease of getting out of a chair and walking. This effect lasted even after the music stopped. This suggests that music might be able to help individuals with fibromyalgia perform everyday activities more easily because of its pain relieving effects! Patients in the control group, who listened to “pink noise” (the sound of static) did not experience pain reduction.

But pain isn’t the only unwelcome fibromyalgia symptom. What about sleep? Listening to music designed specifically to improve sleep was found to be effective in a small study of patients with fibromyalgia. After four weeks of listening to the music at bedtime, individuals reported significant improvements in sleep quality.[4] The sleep music was embedded with delta sound waves, which pulsate within specific frequencies of brain wave activity that are associated with deep sleep (0.25-4 hz). Delta brain waves, which are the slowest type of brain wave, are associated with deep sleep. Listening to delta sound waves is thought to stimulate the production of delta waves in your brain. While this may sound like high tech science, unavailable to the average patient, finding this music is as simple as searching for “sleep music delta waves” in YouTube. Personally I have found this really valuable for falling asleep, getting back to sleep and resting during the day.

Why Music Improves Fibromyalgia Symptoms

The nerd in me wanted to know why music seems to have this pain relieving effect.[5] One possibility is that music is an effective distraction from pain (research has found that distraction activities, like memory tests, can help reduce pain). Listening to music is associated with the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that is known to have a role in the body’s natural pain relieving mechanisms. Music also produces relaxation, which in turn can help reduce pain levels.

Researchers of this last study believe it is important to listen to music you know and enjoy, because familiarity is helpful for sustaining attention. When we pay attention, where more likely to experience the benefits of listening to music. In another case of science proving the obvious, studies have shown that music has a powerful effect on emotions and mood, and that emotions and mood can affect pain. If you enjoy the music you are listening to, it may be more likely to improve your pain levels.

Needless to say, I’ve decided to put my headphones back on.

How Listening to Music Improves Fibromyalgia Symptoms

References:

[1] Blackwell Publishing. (2006, May 24). Listening To Music Can Reduce Chronic Pain And Depression By Up To A Quarter ” ScienceDaily. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/05/060524123803.htm>

[2] Balcı, Güler & Babadağ, Burcu & Ozkaraman, Ayse & Yildiz, Pinar & Musmul, Ahmet & Korkmaz, C. (2015). Effects of music on pain in patients with fibromyalgia. Clinical Rheumatology. 35. DOI 10.1007/s10067-015-3046-3.

[3] Garza-Villarreal EA, Wilson AD, Vase L, Brattico E, Barrios FA, Jensen TS, Romero-Romo JI and Vuust P (2014) Music reduces pain and increases functional mobility in fibromyalgia. Front. Psychol. 5:90. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00090

[4][4] Picard, L. M., Bartel, L. R., Gordon, A. S., Cepo, D., Wu, Q., & Pink, L. R. (2014). Music as a sleep aid in fibromyalgia. Pain Research & Management : The Journal of the Canadian Pain Society, 19(2), 97–101.

[5] Garza-Villarreal EA et al. (2014)

The 3 Best Diets for Fibromyalgia, According to Science

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Learn about 3 diets that improve fibromyalgia symptoms: plant-based, low FODMAP and gluten-free –including an explanation, the science and resources for each diet.

The 3 Best Diets for Fibromyalgia, According to Science

Is Food Really Medicine?

Is there such a thing as a diet to treat fibromyalgia?  While there is no consensus on a single diet to treat FMS, research does point us in a few intriguing directions– specifically, symptoms improvements from plant-based vegetarian diet, a low-FODMAP diet and a gluten-free diet.

Fibromyalgia is difficult to treat. Presently, there are only three prescriptions that are approved by the FDA for fibromyalgia (pregabalin, duloxetine and milnacipran). Unfortunately, although these medications can provide partial relief for some people, none are a magic bullet for treating fibromyalgia. That’s why specialists recommend a multidisciplinary approach to FMS treatment. We know that diet plays an important role in preventing and managing many diseases, such as diabetes and autoimmune diseases, so why not fibromyalgia as well?

In this article, I want to lay out the scientific evidence for three different diet approaches to improving fibromyalgia: plant-based, FODMAP and gluten-free. My hope is that this article can serve as a starting point for you to explore how to use food as medicine to improve your symptoms.

Nutrition can be empowering. That might sound overblown. But, unlike prescriptions or appointments with doctors and physical therapists, there is no intermediary between you and what you choose to eat. Food is personal and what you decide to eat is ultimately up to you. For a person living with fibromyalgia, having the ability to make decisions over something as important as nutrition really is empowering. However, changing daily habits can be a challenge, which is why I have included several free and affordable resources for each diet if you are interested in making any changes.

Fibromyalgia and Plant-Based Vegetarian/Vegan Eating

At least three studies have shown that people with fibromyalgia benefit from a plant- based vegetarian or vegan diet.[1] It’s important to stress the plant-based focus of this dietary therapy. It is possible to eat a diet that is vegetarian, but primarily made up of processed, nutrient-poor, junk food. This won’t improve your general health or your fibromyalgia symptoms. Plant-based foods, including fruits, veggies, whole grains, beans and nuts, contain vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that provide crucial nutritional benefits. It’s quite possible to also obtain balanced macronutrients (carbs, protein and fats) from these plant sources. While vegans and vegetarians both eat plant-based foods, vegetarians also consume dairy, eggs, honey (and sometimes, fish). Vegans do not eat any animal-sourced foods.

Studies have shown that fibromyalgia is linked to high rates of oxidation (damage to tissues caused by particles known as oxidants). Antioxidants neutralize oxidants and serve an important protective function in the body. Researchers hypothesize that consuming a diet rich in antioxidants might help to improve fibromyalgia symptoms.[2]  One study showed that fibromyalgia patients on a vegetarian diet had an improved antioxidant status; 70% of participants also reported lower pain levels and increased well-being.[3]

Another benefit of eating vegetarian is weight loss. Carrying extra weight worsens pain, sleep, depression, and other fibromyalgia symptoms.[4] However, it can be very difficult to lose weight when you have a condition that makes moderate exercise painful. If you have struggled unsuccessfully to lose weight, could it be time to consider going vegetarian or vegan?

A recent study of diabetic patients found that, compared to a conventional low-calorie diet, a vegetarian diet was almost twice as effective in reducing body weight.[5] In a separate investigation into the effects of eating vegan on fibromyalgia symptoms, research participants who were overweight had a significant reduction in body mass index, as well as cholesterol levels.[6] This 3-month study found that eating vegan resulted in significant improvements in FMS symtoms: reduced pain levels, and joint stiffness and improved quality of sleep and quality of life.

After my diagnosis, I ate a lot of processed, packaged food because of the convenience. But it cost me a lot in terms of my symptoms getting worse and gaining weight. After I switched to eating plant-based vegetarian, I lost about 20 pounds and found that some of my symptoms improved, including more sustained energy, no low blood sugar crashes and greater ease of movement.

If you are interested in going vegetarian/vegan, or just incorporating more meatless main dishes into your diet, here are a few resources to get started:

Fibromyalgia and the Low FODMAP Diet

This is a weird sounding diet, right? FODMAP stands for several types of short chain carbohydrate and sugar alcohols. Research has shown that a diet low in FODMAPs is the most effective diet plan for managing Irritable Bowel Syndrome (which includes symptoms like bloating, nausea and changes in bowel movements). In addition, a low FODMAP diet (LFD) can reduce fatigue, lethargy and poor concentration.[7]

Based on these findings, a new study investigated whether reducing FODMAPs in your diet could improve your fibromyalgia symptoms.[8]  The results were positive – a statistically significant reduction in body pain and gastrointestinal symptoms, as well as an improvement in quality of life. I find it interesting that these results indicated improvements beyond only G.I. symptoms . Research into probiotics and dietary interventions has been pointing to a gut-brain connection. Since fibromyalgia involves a sensitized nervous system, perhaps one way to dial down the sensitivity could be via the gut? It’s important to note that this was a pilot study, with a small sample size, and further research needs to be done. However, if you have IBS or significant G.I. issues along with fibromyalgia, a low FODMAP diet might help you manage digestive symptoms and reduce your pain!

How Does a Low-FODMAP Diet Work?

For some people, FODMAPS are poorly absorbed in the small intestine. When they pass into the large intestine, they are quickly fermented, which contributes to gas, abdominal bloating and pain. They also attract water into the large intestines through osmosis, which can alter bowel movements. FODMAP stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols. These can be further divided into five groups called fructans, galacto-oligosaccharides, lactose, excess fructose and polyols.

Foods that contain FODMAPS include:  onions, garlic, mushrooms, apples, lentils, wheat, rye and milk. Importantly, not everyone is triggered by all types of FODMAPs. Instead, the FODMAP diet takes an elimination approach. Initially, all FODMAPs are removed from your diet. Gradually, they are re-introduced one by one so you can determine which ones cause you a negative reaction. Only your FODMAP triggers are permanently removed from your meals.

If you are interested in learning more, you can check out these resources:

Fibromyalgia and the Gluten-Free Diet

It’s impossible to have escaped the gluten-free diet fad that has swept the mainstream in recent years. The evidence is seemingly in every grocery store and on every menu. While it may seem like only a fad, there is a scientific rationale behind why some people may benefit from a gluten-free diet, even if they don’t have celiac disease (CD): “Non-celiac gluten sensitivity is increasingly recognized as a frequent clinical condition with symptoms similar to CD in the absence of the diagnostic features of CD.”[9]

Without getting too deep in the weeds on this topic, gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, barley and similar grains. In some people with a weakened intestinal barrier, consuming gluten triggers an inflammatory immune response. Some of the symptoms of a gluten sensitivity include gastrointestinal problems like bloating, constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and vomiting, as well as muscle and joint pain, brain fog and chronic fatigue. Although the clinical markers of gluten sensitivity are different from celiac disease, scientists have uncovered markers of intestinal cell damage and increased immune activity, which normalized after eliminating gluten for six months.[10]

A small pilot study investigated whether fibromyalgia patients with gluten sensitivity improved after beginning a gluten-free diet. Patients with confirmed gluten sensitivity experienced an improvement in pain, fatigue, neurological and gastrointestinal symptoms after beginning a gluten-free diet. Of the 20 participants in the study, fifteen experienced a significant reduction in body wide pain – some shortly after beginning the diet and others after a few months. The authors conclude that this pilot study suggests non-celiac sensitivity may be a treatable cause of fibromyalgia, but that further research needs to be done.

If you are curious whether gluten might be worsening your symptoms, it’s best to begin with a trial elimination diet. This means eliminating all sources of gluten from your diet for several weeks. During this period, keep a food log of what you eat and what your symptoms are each day. Then reintroduce gluten into your diet, and observe whether your symptoms change or worsen. Since more than half of FM/CFS patients see their symptoms improve when they eliminate certain foods, including corn, wheat, dairy, citrus and sugar, you may want to add other foods to your elimination diet.

If you suspect that gluten may be impacting your fibromyalgia, it’s good to rule out celiac disease first. Start by making an appointment with your doctor (and bringing your food log). In order to rule out non-celiac gluten sensitivity, you may want to consider working with an integrative medical doctor, naturopathic doctor, or nutritionist. Although research supports the existence of gluten sensitivity, the mainstream medical profession lags behind when it comes to accepting this condition, so alternative and complementary health professionals may be better to work with during this process.

Here are a few resources to check out if you are interested in going gluten-free:

 

References

[1] https://vegetarianprescription.org/2016/11/01/the-treatment-of-fibromyalgia-with-a-plant-based-diet/

[2] https://vegetarianprescription.org/2016/11/01/the-treatment-of-fibromyalgia-with-a-plant-based-diet/

[3] Høstmark A, Lystad E, Vellar O, et.al. Reduced plasma fibrinogen, serum peroxides, lipids, and apolipoproteins after a 3-week vegetarian diet. Plant Foods for Human Nutrition. Jan 1993;43(1):55-61.

[4] http://www.arthritis.org/about-arthritis/types/fibromyalgia/articles/obesity-fibromyalgia.php

[5] https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/06/170612094458.htm

[6][6] Kaartinen K, Lammi K, Hypen M. Vegan diet alleviates fibromyalgia symptoms. Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology. 2000; 29(5): 308-13.

[7] http://fodmapfriendly.com/what-are-fodmaps/

[8] Marum, A.P. et al. (2016). A low fermentable oligo-di-mono saccharides and polyols (FODMAP) diet reduced pain and improved daily life in fibromyalgia patients. Scandinavian Journal of Pain 13:166-72. http://www.scandinavianjournalpain.com/article/S1877-8860(16)30084-2/fulltext?mobileUi=1

[9]Isasi, C. et al. (2014). Fibromyalgia and non–celiac sensitivity: a description with remission of fibromyalgia. Rheumatology International , 34 (11), 1607-16.

[10] http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/312001.php

Evidence for New Fibro Drug Therapies: Options to Take to Your Doctor if Your Current Treatments aren’t Working

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Evidence for New Fibro Drug Therapies: Options to Take to Your Doctor if You Current Treatments aren't Working

New research into drug therapies helps people with fibromyalgia increase their treatment options. Learning about these new medication options can help you and your doctor you find the best treatment regimen for you.

If you live with fibromyalgia, you know firsthand that one of the primary features of this condition is a lower pain threshold compared to healthy people. There are a number of changes in the body caused by fibromyalgia that increase our sensitivity to pain. One set of changes affect how the spinal cord relays pain sensations from the body to the brain. Several drugs target specific receptors, called NMDA receptors, which are located in deep spinal neurons that carry sensory information to regions in the brain that relate to pain processing. NMDA receptors are activated by signals relayed to the spinal cord by peripheral neurons that sense pressure in muscles, tendons, etc. This type of receptor is activated by the neurotransmitter glutamate. Studies have shown elevated levels of glutamate in the brain and spinal cord of patients with fibromyalgia.[i] There is a strong correlation between elevated glutamate and increased pain in people with fibromyalgia. NMDA receptors can amplify pain signals in patients with fibromyalgia because they are activated to a greater degree by the presence of increased glutamate concentrations in the brain/spinal cord, which trigger pain signals sent to the brain by the deep spinal neurons.

NMDA receptors can be prevented from firing by certain compounds. Two drugs in particular seem effective at decreasing NDMDA receptor activation. One is called memantine. Memantine blocks NMDA receptors and decreases glutamate levels. “A randomised, double-blind study in 63 patients with fibromyalgia compared memantine… with placebo over a 6-month period. Compared to placebo there was a significant reduction in pain and pain threshold and improvement in global function, mood and quality of life”.[ii] Memantine was originally developed to treat diabetes, but has also been used to treat dementia; it has been found to also be effective in treating chronic regional pain syndrome.

Ketamine is another potent NMDA receptor blocker (yes, the illegal party drug). Studies have shown that it can effectively reduce pain for a subset of fibromyalgia patients “Thus, of 58 patients with fibromyalgia in the above 3 studies, 33 (57%) responded to low dose ketamine (0.3mg / kg) infusion, as defined by a reduction of pain by 50% or more.”[iii] However, studies have not adequately investigated long term use of ketamine. However, ketamine has been proven effective in treating chronic regional pain syndrome, which shares many similar characteristics to fibromyalgia.

Another interesting tip focuses on diet changes that can help lower pain levels. Glutamate is found in MSG (monosodium glutamate). Other related compounds, called excitotoxins, like aspartame, can cause harmful over-activity in the brain. “One study showed that 4 weeks of exclusion of monosodium glutamate (MSG), aspartame, and other excitotoxins, resulted in over 30% improvement in fibromyalgia symptoms in 84% of those who completed the diet”.[iv]

What about inflammation and fibromyalgia? A number of studies have found increased levels of pro-inflammatory messengers (called cytokines) in blood collected from FM patients.[v]  A drug called low-dose naltrexone has been investigated for its potential benefits in treating fibromyalgia because of its anti-inflammatory properties.[vi] Naltrexone is primarily used to treat opioid overdoses, but when taken at a low dose before bed, studies have found a statistically significant reduction in FM pain compared to the placebo. A recent study found that “after eight weeks of LDN administration, plasma levels of a range of broadly pro-inflammatory cytokines were decreased. In addition, we found that participants reported less pain and symptoms following LDN. Combined, these results support the hypothesis that LDN may help chronic pain conditions, such as fibromyalgia, by acting as an atypical anti-inflammatory medication”.[vii] Pain reduction was found to be 15% and symptom reduction 18%. While these results are modest, for many FM patients desperate for options, low-dose naltrexone could be a valuable part of their treatment regimen.

Evidence for New Fibro Drug Therapies: Options to Take to Your Doctor if You Current Treatments aren't Working

Works Cited

Littlejohn, G., & Guymer, E. (2017). Modulation of NMDA Receptor Activity in Fibromyalgia. Biomedicines 5 (5), 15-27.

Parkitny, L., & Younger, J. (2017). Reduced Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines after Eight Weeks of Low-Dose Naltrexone for Fibromyalgia. Biomedicines 5 (2), 16.

Ross, R., Jones, K., Bennett, R., Ward, R., Druker, B., & Wood, L. (2010). Preliminary Evidence of Increased Pain and Elevated Cytokines in Fibromyalgia Patients with Defective Growth Hormone Response to Exercise. Open Immunol J, 3, 9-18.

Citations

[i] (Littlejohn & Guymer, 2017)

[ii] (Littlejohn & Guymer, 2017)

[iii] (Littlejohn & Guymer, 2017)

[iv] (Littlejohn & Guymer, 2017)

[v] (Ross, Jones, Bennett, Ward, Druker, & Wood, 2010)

[vi] (Parkitny & Younger, 2017)

[vii] (Parkitny & Younger, 2017)

Could a Treatment for Herpes also be Effective for Treating Fibromyalgia?

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Could a treatment for herpes also be effective for treating fibromyalgia?A recent study investigated whether it would be effective to  treat fibromyalgia patients with an anti-viral and anti-inflammatory drug combination that is normally used to treat the herpes virus (cold sores or genital herpes). The anti-viral drug used in this study also treats the shingles virus (which additionally causes chickenpox). Specifically, researchers tested a famciclovir + celecoxib drug combination called IMC-1. The study was based on the hypothesis that life stressors could re-activate latent viral infections  (viral infections from earlier in life that become dormant), which in turn cause fibromyalgia to develop. This hypothesis is based on anecdotal evidence of patients who develop fibromyalgia after experiencing infections and/or periods of stress. Does that sound familiar?

The results of this double-blind, placebo-controlled study were positive: participants receiving the anti-virals had significantly less pain and fatigue compared to participants who received a placebo. Encouragingly, IMC-1 was well tolerated by study participants, with few side-effects. Researchers concluded that the effectiveness of the anti-viral drugs suggests that the herpes virus may play a role in the development of fibromyalgia for some patients. Interestingly, this conclusion was based on the efficacy of the drug rather than testing the study participants for the herpes virus. I wonder whether this line of investigation could be expanded to include other potential viral triggers.

This hypothesis resonates with me because in the months before I developed fibromyalgia, I had a mumps infection, which I always attributed as a trigger for the onset of my fibromyalgia. In addition, I have had shingles, which the anti-viral used in the study also treats. This is a fascinating new area of research that will hopefully provide more answers and solutions to the treatment of fibromyalgia. In the meantime, if you have the herpes virus (or other significant viral infection) and fibromyalgia, I recommend taking this study to your doctor to see if IMC-1 might be an effective option for you!

Reference:

Pridgen, W. et al. (2017). A famciclovir + celecoxib combination treatment is safe and efficacious in the treatment of fibromyalgia. J. Pain Res., 10, 451-460. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5328426/

Should You Try Yoga as a Treatment for Your Fibromyalgia?

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Should you try yoga as a treatment for your fibromyalgia?Yoga. It’s everywhere. From passers-by on the sidewalk toting yoga mats, to health headlines in the media, it seems like yoga has saturated the mainstream. But if you live with a chronic condition, like fibromyalgia (FM), you may be unaware of what twisting yourself into a pretzel has do with managing your daily symptoms. In fact, you may be unaware that yoga isn’t about twisting yourself into a pretzel at all.

Research is clearly on the side of trying yoga to manage your fibromyalgia symptoms. The Oregon Health and Science University published a study in 2010 that compared the impact of an eight week yoga program on FM patients against a control group who received standard FM treatment. Researchers found that “pain was reduced in the yoga group by an average of 24 percent, fatigue by 30 percent and depression by 42 percent”.

So what is yoga actually all about? And how can it help you manage your chronic condition?  To answer these questions, I asked my good friend and yoga therapist, Kathrin Gottwald, who also blogs at Soulicious Moments.  Kathrin explains that “A carefully tailored yoga practice can not only lead to more flexibility and muscle tone, but also more awareness and potentially a different way of experiencing yourself and life.” This mind-body aspect of yoga exercise is at the core of what makes it effective. “Yoga means union,” explains Kathrin, “it is a practice to establish a feeling of connection to ourselves, others and the world around us.”

Should you try yoga as a treatment for your fibromyalgia?

Before my diagnosis, I was a beginner yoga student. Although I was never a very athletic person, I found I craved my weekly class. Week to week, I noticed that my strength, balance and flexibility improved. I enjoyed being in my body, rather than in my head, for those 60 minutes. After my diagnosis, I assumed by yoga days were over. I could barely sit on the floor, after all!

Eventually,  I attended a pain management class, which included a yoga component led by a teacher who herself had fibromyalgia. I began to include certain yoga poses into my daily stretching routine. Finally, I found a DVD with a yoga routine designed specifically for FM (see below). The genius part of the program is that they show each pose at 3 levels of ability, so you can customize your program based on your daily level of pain. I try to do this routine twice a week. I have the same benefits as before, even though my yoga routine is much gentler and shorter than before: feeling a positive connection to my body, feeling more present, and feeling my flexibility, balance and strength improve.

Beyond physical benefits, yoga is about developing body awareness and mental presence. Kathrin elaborates: “Yoga is not about perfecting the poses or contorting yourself into difficult positions, but it is all about how you relate to yourself and that which you encounter and experience in life. Especially for people living with chronic conditions it can be very beneficial to find skillful ways of relating to themselves and their illness.”

I also include a breathing practice three to four times a week along with my yoga routine. This is also an important part of yoga. As Kathrin notes, “In yoga the breath is considered our life force. The practice is to consciously move this energy within you and use it skilfully. Observing the breath and resting your awareness on your breath is already a yoga practice in itself.” Even if you are having a flare, and all you can do is breathe, you can still practice yoga. This practice has to do with sitting or lying quietly and focusing on the breath. When thoughts or sensations distract you, as they inevitably will, you gently bring your attention back to the breath as soon as you realize you have gotten carried away.

I find yoga helps me ‘practice’ being in the here and now, helps me to know the contents of my own mind and heart better, and increases my awareness of my body, so I can check in with what I am able to do day to day. In Kathrin’s words, “Yoga practice starts with being. We do not need to constantly strive to be different and improve. When we practice, we are just striving to be more fully ourselves.”

So if you want to start a yoga practice, where do you begin? You can work one-on-one with a yoga therapist or teacher. Kathrin explains that “in yoga therapy you work with a specific intention of finding more skilful ways of relating to yourself and your condition. This is a very personal and individual path. The yoga therapist will develop a targeted practice for you, which will be individually adapted as needed”.

More and more studios are beginning to offer targeted classes, like yoga for back pain or chair yoga, which you may be able to join. I definitely recommend asking if you can observe a class before joining, to ensure it is at your level and uses a therapeutic approach.

If this is out of your price range, several resources you can consider are listed below. These include instructional DVDs or online routines you can do at home. This is usually better for people with some yoga experience, to avoid injury.  However you start, I hope you find greater presence, connection, and health!

 

Natural Treatments for Fibromyalgia: Why you should Try D-Ribose

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Natural Treatments for Fibromyalgia: Why you should Try D-RiboseThe first part of my natural treatment protocol for FM was focused on healing my digestive tract (which I described in a previous post). The second phase is to begin incorporating d-ribose.

D-ribose is a sugar produced in the body and taken to alleviate fatigue and pain in fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. Here’s what the research says about this supplement.

The biggest advocate for d-ribose is Dr. Teitelbaum, a prominent doctor in the field of chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia medicine. He has developed a program for treating both conditions which includes d-ribose as a core component. Dr. Teitelbaum contends that CFS/FMS is caused by an “energy crisis” in the body, leading to a cascade of different symptoms like fatigue, pain, sleep disturbance, among others. One root cause of the energy problem, he argues, is that the ability of the mitochondria in your cells to generate energy is suppressed. Mitochondria produce the energy, called ATP, used by your cells to carry out all their functions. D-ribose is essential to the production of ATP. Therefore, taking additional D-ribose should help to support mitochondrial function and improve energy output in fatigued patients. (If you are interested in learning more, check out a much longer discussion found on Dr. Teitelbaum’s website here).

The evidence? Dr. Teitelbaum has authored a few pilot studies that have demonstrated some promising results. The most recent study was an open-label study published in 2012. In this multicenter study, 257 patients diagnosed with CFS/FMS were given d-ribose (5 g three times daily for three weeks). Patient symptoms were assessed in terms of subjective change in energy, sleep quality, mental clarity, pain level, and global sense of well-being, and compared to their pre-study baseline. Significant improvements were found; specifically a 61.3% increase in energy, 37% increase in general well-being, 29% improvement in sleep, 30% improvement in mental clarity, 15.6% decrease in pain.

Sounds great, right? There are some limitations to the study. First of all, there was no placebo group so we don’t have a sense of how much a placebo effect might have impacted the results. Secondly, it was quite a short study so long term effects were not captured in the results. Third, I always feel a bit suspicious of studies that lump chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia together because a lot of recent research has demonstrated different causes for the two conditions and mixing them together might conflate the results.

Personally, I have found D-ribose a helpful aid to improving my energy. I would say that it improves my energy by 15-20%. I take 5mg in the morning, and sometimes an additional 5mg in the afternoon. When I stopped taking it, I noticed a worsening of my afternoon brain fog and fatigue. I didn’t notice a worsening of pain or sleep however. I also appreciate that it is easy to take –  just mix a spoonful with a glass of swater- instead of yet another pill. It is also relatively inexpensive.

As with everything fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue related, it is an individual experience, so you have to try it for yourself. In the case of d-ribose, I think it is definitely worth a try!

Check out other great posts on the Fibro Friday Linkup!

References

Teitelbaum JE, et al. “Treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia with D-ribose – An open-label, multicenter study.” The Open Pain Journal. 2012, 5,32-37

Fibromyalgia…it’s all in your hands?!

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Fibromyalgia isn’t all in your head…It’s in your hands.

Wait. What?

A breakthrough study has found a clear tissue differentiation in the hands of women with fibromyalgia. Researchers took biopsies of palms and found an increased concentration of a type of nerve fibre that regulates blood flow through specialized shunts, found only in hands and feet (Fig. 1). **

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This study is important because it provides a biological test that physicians in the future will be able to use to diagnose fibromyalgia, rather than relying on subjective measures. It also firmly proves all the skeptics and naysayers wrong. Secondly, the research points to an explanation for what causes fibromyalgia.

So, what causes it? We need to start with a short biology lesson to understand. Arteries carry oxygenated blood to our tissues, moving from large artery vessels to smaller arterioles and finally to capillaries. Capillaries supply the local tissue with oxygenated blood and collect de-oxygenated blood which they carry to veins (via small vessels called venules). In the hands and feet there are specialized shunts (think valves), which can redirect blood flow towards or away from the capillary beds in the palms and soles. As Dr. Frank Rice, the leading scientist at Integrated Tissue Dynamics LLC (Intidyn), as part of a fibromyalgia study based at Albany Medical College, explains, “The AV shunts in the hand are unique in that they create a bypass of the capillary bed for the major purpose of regulating body temperature…Under warm conditions, the shunts close down to force blood into the capillaries at the surface of the skin in order to radiate heat from the body, and our hands get sweaty. Under cold conditions, the shunts open wide allowing blood to bypass the capillaries in order to conserve heat, and our hands get cold.” * The shunts are controlled by nerve fibres that open and close as needed. Fibromyalgia patients have an increased concentration of the nerve fibres which open the shunts. This picture does a better job of explaining how it works:

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So what does this mean? It turns out that the hands and feet act like a reservoir for blood. When blood is needed by other tissues in the body, such as active muscles, it can be diverted where it’s needed. If the blood flow is mismanaged because of the distinct tissue pathology found in the fibromyalgia patients, it could cause the muscle pain and achiness which characterizes the disease.* Furthermore, the researchers believe mismanaged blood flow could cause fibro fog and sleep problems. Dr. Rice says this research “appear[s] to fit with other published evidence demonstrating blood flow alterations to higher brain centers and the cerebral cortex of fibromyalgia patients”.*

This research really shakes up the conventional explanations for what causes fibromyalgia. It’s exciting, but I’m not quite sure what to make of it. How does it fit with recent research demonstrating immune dysfunction at the cellular level in FM patients? Or previous studies which have found altered levels of neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and substance P?

Personally, I don’t experience extreme sensitivity in my hands and feet, which Dr. Rice suggests is common for FM patients. I do find the sensation of cold objects painful when they shouldn’t be. In addition, my hands and feet are always icy cold. I’ve caused quite a few shocked yelps from my husband when my feet inadvertently touch his, or when I try to hold his hand!

Overall this is an exciting step towards finding the cause of FM and it will be interesting to see where it leads.

References:

Albrecht PJ, Hou Q, Argoff CE, Storey JR, Wymer JP, Rice FL (2013). Excessive Peptidergic Sensory Innervation of Cutaneous Arteriole-Venule Shunts (AVS) in the Palmar Glabrous Skin of Fibromyalgia Patients: Implications for Widespread Deep Tissue Pain and Fatigue. Pain Medicine, May 20. doi: 10.1111/pme.12139 [Epub ahead of print].

Posted at the National Library of Medicine (PubMed): http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23691965

A description of this study for the general public can be found at: http://www.intidyn.com/Newsroom/Fibromyalgia Pathology for lay people 2013-06-24.pdf