The Nerve To Muscle Connection In Fibromyalgia and Chronic Myofascial Pain

Research continues to tell us that fibromyalgia involves the breakdown of normal messaging between the brain (central nervous system) and the peripheral nervous system. Pro-inflammatory cells called glial cells are still in the news, eight years after publishing Integrative Therapies for Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue, and Myofascial Pain Syndrome. In 2018, researchers documented widespread inflammation in the brains of patients with fibromyalgia for the first time. (Accessed, 11/10/2019).  Add a highly sensitized peripheral nervous system such as seen in chronic myofascial pain and centralization of pain in the brain is off and running.

Dr. Karl Hurst-Wicker did a wonderful job explaining how our peripheral nervous system can contribute to the centralization of pain in the brain in an article I wrote for Health Central.

“According to Dr. Hurst-Wicker, chronic pain from myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) is a common cause of chronic pain. In fact, one study showed that it constituted 30% of the pain complaints in a primary care/internal medicine practice. Myofascial pain syndrome can be the primary pain generator, and at the same time, MPS may flare up or indicate some other pain generator in the same area. That’s why a big part of evaluating a patient with pain is getting a good history and physical exam to determine if they have only MPS, or if they have MPS and some other concurrent problem.”
 Excerpt: Fibromyalgia Centralization and Peripheral Myofascial Pain: Interview with Karl Hurst-Wicker, MD, Health Central. Read on…

Chronic myofascial pain from myofascial trigger points, which are thought to be caused by an excessive release of the chemical neuro-transmitter, acetylcholine, is prevalent in fibromyalgia and helps explain some of the muscle pain and dysfunction we experience. Check out the heading here at The Pained Ink Slayer labeled “What is a trigger point?”

It is difficult to deny the brains ability to resurrect previous pain experiences or detach the emotional center from the physical response. Conditioning responses is important and why treatment takes a multidimensional approach. These various treatments, medication, stretching movement such as Yoga, gradual exercise after bringing myofascial trigger points under control, meditation, T’ai Chi for promoting balance input to the brain are all important for putting a tire tool in the spokes of this wheel spinning out of control between the brain and the periphery.

Additional Reading

·        Myofascial Trigger Points and Chronic Pain

·        Do Tight Muscles Cause You Pain? What You Should Know About Chronic Myofascial Pain

·        Proprioception: Are you a bull in the china cabinet? Is it fibro or myofascial pain syndrome?

In healing,

Celeste Cooper, RN / Author, Freelancer, Advocate

Think adversity?-See opportunity!

http://www.CelesteCooper.com

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