Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Fibromyalgia and Chronic pain, Consistent Cousins, Shared Machinery

A recent article “Evidence for Shared Pain Mechanisms in Osteoarthritis, Low Back Pain, and Fibromyalgia” suggests that chronic pain from these sources have a common effect called centralization. This means that the peripheral pain input to the brain causes it to become hypersensitive. You can view the article and the authors at PubMed


The keywords I see are peripheral stimulation and centralization. Where there are diseased joints or vertebrae pulling on muscle, trigger points can develop and we know myofascial trigger points are seen in FM.


Management of fibromyalgia includes identifying aggravating and perpetuating factors.


This includes bringing co-existing conditions under control, including the presence of myofascial trigger points, metabolic disturbances, sleep dysfunction, anxiety, restless leg syndrome, multiple chemical sensitivities, migraine and other comorbid conditions.

This blog is based on the question and my original answer to “How is fibromyalgia related to chronic pain,” at ShareCare.

View my other answered questions as expert at ShareCare. fibromyalgia expert


All blogs, posts and answers are based on the work in Integrative Therapies for Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Myofascial Pain: The Mind-Body Connection by Celeste Cooper, RN, and Jeff Miller, PhD. 2010, Vermont: Healing Arts press and are not meant to replace medical advice.

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