Fibromyalgia and Pain Disorders

I'm just going to touch on the one's i have for the most part because those are the ones i know most about but what they've found out is that the hypocretin system also plays some part in pain sensation. I'm sure we will find out more as time goes by but a fair percentage of us have pain disorders as a secondary auto immune disease so i thought i would say something about some of them...

A peptide whose absence leads to narcolepsy also might play role in pain sensation

New Haven, Conn. – A neuropeptide whose loss is believed responsible for narcolepsy, a disease characterized by sudden sleep attacks, also appears to play a role in the modulation of pain sensation, a study by a Yale researcher has found. The findings, published as the cover story in the January issue of the Journal of Physiology, offers a new direction in the control of pain, particularly in spinal cord injuries where pain is a substantial problem, said Anthony van den Pol, professor of neurosurgery at Yale School of Medicine and co-author of the study. Collaborators in the study were Ed Perl and Tim Grudt from the University of North Carolina. The researchers’ findings indicate that hypocretin neurons from the hypothalamus establish direct connections with the spinal cord and hypocretin changes the electrical activity of nerve cells in the dorsal part of the spinal cord that are involved in pain perception. The hypothalamus is generally considered to be an area of the brain that regulates eating, drinking, sleeping, waking, body temperature, chemical balances, heart rate, hormones, sex and emotions.     

Fibromyalgia- http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fibromyalgia/DS00079 

You hurt all over, and you frequently feel exhausted. Even after numerous tests, your doctor can't find anything specifically wrong with you. If this sounds familiar, you may have fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition characterized by widespread pain in your muscles, ligaments and tendons, as well as fatigue and multiple tender points — places on your body where slight pressure causes pain.

Fibromyalgia occurs in about 2 percent of the population in the United States. Women are much more likely to develop the disorder than are men, and the risk of fibromyalgia increases with age. Fibromyalgia symptoms often begin after a physical or emotional trauma, but in many cases there appears to be no triggering event.

(for me, my triggering event was the prolonged birth of my first born son. Hours and hours of pushing and hard labor after being up for several days before. It was like night and day. I went in with no fibromyalgia and came out within weeks with it.)

Signs and symptoms of fibromyalgia can vary, depending on the weather, stress, physical activity or even the time of day.

Widespread pain and tender points (these are different from myofascial pain knots)
The pain associated with fibromyalgia is described as a constant dull ache, typically arising from muscles. To be considered widespread, the pain must occur on both sides of your body and above and below your waist.

Fibromyalgia is characterized by additional pain when firm pressure is applied to specific areas of your body, called tender points. Tender point locations include:

• Back of the head
• Between shoulder blades
• Top of shoulders
• Front sides of neck
• Upper chest
• Outer elbows
• Upper hips
• Sides of hips
• Inner knees

Fatigue and sleep disturbances
People with fibromyalgia often awaken tired, even though they seem to get plenty of sleep. Experts believe that these people rarely reach the deep restorative stage of sleep. Sleep disorders that have been linked to fibromyalgia include restless legs syndrome and sleep apnea. (and narcolepsy....I know quite a few!!)

Doctors don't know what causes fibromyalgia, but it most likely involves a variety of factors working together. These may include:

• Genetics. Because fibromyalgia tends to run in families, there may be certain genetic mutations that may make you more susceptible to developing the disorder.
• Infections. Some illnesses appear to trigger or aggravate fibromyalgia.
• Physical or emotional trauma. Post-traumatic stress disorder has been linked to fibromyalgia.

Why does it hurt?
Current thinking centers around a theory called central sensitization. This theory states that people with fibromyalgia have a lower threshold for pain because of increased sensitivity in the brain to pain signals.

Researchers believe repeated nerve stimulation causes the brains of people with fibromyalgia to change. This change involves an abnormal increase in levels of certain chemicals in the brain that signal pain (neurotransmitters). In addition, the brain's pain receptors seem to develop a sort of memory of the pain and become more sensitive, meaning they can overreact to pain signals.

(like the abstract says up above, our hypocretin loss is part of the clue! It sentitizes us to the pain and lowers the threshold, lucky us! People with one auto immune disease tend to have clusters of auto immune dieases around an HLA marker. )

Myofascial Pain Syndrome http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/myofascial-pain-syndrome/DS01042 

Myofascial pain syndrome is a chronic form of muscle pain. The pain of myofascial pain syndrome centers around sensitive points in your muscles called trigger points. The trigger points can be painful when touched. And the pain can spread throughout the affected muscle.

Nearly everyone experiences muscle pain from time to time that generally resolves in a few days. But people with myofascial pain syndrome have muscle pain that persists or worsens. Myofascial pain caused by trigger points has been linked to many types of pain, including headaches, jaw pain, neck pain, low back pain, pelvic pain, and arm and leg pain.

Treatment for myofascial pain syndrome can bring relief in many cases. Treatment options include physical therapy, trigger point injections or medications.

Signs and symptoms of myofascial pain syndrome may include:

• Deep, aching pain in a muscle
• Pain that persists or worsens
• Muscle stiffness
• Joint stiffness near the affected muscle
• Area of tension in your muscle that may feel like a knot or tight spot and may be particularly sensitive to touch
• Difficulty sleeping due to pain

When to see a doctor
Make an appointment with your doctor if you experience muscle pain that doesn't go away. Nearly everyone experiences muscle pain from time to time. But if the typical self-care measures you use in these situations, such as rest or massage, aren't working, make an appointment with your doctor.

Sensitive areas of tight muscle fibers can form in your muscles after injuries or overuse. These sensitive areas are called trigger points. A trigger point in a muscle can cause strain and pain throughout the muscle. When this pain persists and worsens, doctors call it myofascial pain syndrome.

Myofascial pain syndrome is caused by trigger points in your muscles. Factors that may increase your risk of muscle trigger points include:

• Muscle injury. Stress on your muscles can cause trigger points to form. For example, an injury in your muscle may cause trigger points. Repetitive stress also may increase your risk.
• Inactivity. If you've been unable to use a muscle, such as after surgery or after a stroke, you may experience trigger points in your muscle as you start to move it during your recovery.
• Stress and anxiety. People who frequently experience stress and anxiety may be more likely to develop trigger points in their muscles. One theory holds that these people may be more likely to clench their muscles, a form of repeated strain that leaves muscles susceptible to trigger points.
• Age. Myofascial pain syndrome is more likely in middle-aged adults. It's thought that younger people's muscles better cope with stress and strain, so they aren't as likely to experience myofascial pain syndrome.
• Sex. Women are more likely than men to experience myofascial pain syndrome. It isn't clear why.

Myofascial pain syndrome is kinda linked to Fibromyalgia and i thought it was the same thing, but it's not. The knots are different and can be treated differently but with as many as i have i don't see how i could possibly have enough money for all the shots and physcial therapy i need to get rid of all of them, lol. I think i would grow back as many as i get rid of! Anyway, you can also massage out the knots (it hurts like hell to do it but it does increase muscle movement and you feel better later. You can also get an electrical stimulation or Tens unit online which zaps the knots, which also hurts to use. It breaks apart the build up and relaxes things but when it hurts to touch it you can imagine sending tiny electrical currents into in pulses!) I've also found that drinking some hard lemonade or glass of wine a few times a week will help flush out the system a little bit, which for me also hurts like something is burning through my capillaries and is a bit expensive so i don't do so much and i can't handle more than a glass at a time anyway.

Bursitis http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/bursitis/DS00032

If you have bursitis, the affected joint may:

• Feel achy or stiff
• Hurt more when you move it or press on it
• Look swollen and red

When to see a doctor
Consult your doctor if you have:

• Disabling joint pain
• Pain for more than two weeks
• Excessive swelling, redness, bruising or a rash in the affected area
• Sharp or shooting pain, especially when you exercise or exert yourself
• A fever

The most common causes of bursitis are repetitive motions or positions that irritate the bursae around a joint. Examples include:

• Throwing a baseball or lifting something over your head repeatedly
• Leaning on your elbows for long periods of time
• Extensive kneeling, for tasks such as laying carpet or scrubbing floors
• Prolonged sitting, particularly on hard surfaces

Some bursae at the knee and elbow lie just below the skin, so they are at higher risk of puncture injuries that can become infected and cause septic bursitis.

(I actually developed elbow Bursitis before i was ever pregnant and i often wonder if my son's learning disability might be connected to the medication i was on when i concieved and took the first 6 weeks. However, my Bursitis kinda hid with my fibromyalgia and myofascial knots as it grew worse untill many years later and it is very prominent now. My mother also has Bursitis, this is her only real physical illness other than mild blood pressure and some headaches.)

I'll probably add to this as i learn more about other illnesses and find more that might be linked to Narcolepsy patients. These are the one's that i suffer with. It's by no means the comprehensive list! Just know that there is an association and go from here!

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