Fibromyalgia

Simplifying Fibromyalgia Assessment

The VASFIQ Brief Symptom Scale Chad S. Boomershine, MD, PhD, Birol Emir, PhD, Yi Wang, MS, Gergana Zlateva PhD Ther Adv Musculoskel Dis. 2011;3(5):215-226. Abstract and Introduction Abstract Objectives: We tested the ability of the VASFIQ, a seven-item scale composed of Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) visual analog scales (VASs), to quantify fibromyalgia global disease severity […]

American Academy of Neurology Warns Against Opioids in Chronic Noncancer Pain

By Kristina Fiore, Staff Writer, MedPage Today Published: Sep 29, 2014 Download Full Text Article Action Points A position paper from the American Academy of Neurology suggests that the risks for chronic opioid therapy for some chronic conditions such as headache, fibromyalgia, and chronic low back pain likely outweigh the benefits. It also suggests that […]

Fibromyalgia: Patients Hypersensitive to Nonpain Sensations

Beth Skwarecki September 17, 2014 Story Source Brain scans of patients with fibromyalgia showed that they processed nonpainful stimuli, such as sound and touch, differently than the brains of people without the disorder. This may explain why patients often complain of hypersensitivity to sensations in everyday life, author Marina López-Solà, PhD, from the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at […]

Joint Hypermobility: A Common Association with Complex Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders

J Pediatr. 2014 Aug 20. pii: S0022-3476(14)00644-1. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2014.07.021. [Epub ahead of print] Joint Hypermobility: A Common Association with Complex Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders. Kovacic K1, Chelimsky TC2, Sood MR1, Simpson P3, Nugent M3, Chelimsky G1. Abstract OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence of joint hypermobility (JH) and comorbid conditions in children and young adults referred to […]

Fibromyalgia: Put the Pain in Its Place

3 essential considerations for chiropractors treating fibromyalgia patients. BY COURTNEY CRAIG, MS, DC While some fibromyalgia patients respond favorably to regular chiropractic care, others experience minimal relief.1 Unfortunately, many of these patients must rely on pharmacological management to relieve their constant pain. The most common medications prescribed for fibromyalgia are anti-epileptic drugs like Lyrica, serotonin-norepinephrine […]

Fibromyalgia Includes Cognitive Symptoms

Norra MacReady August 04, 2014 A new study confirms that people with fibromyalgia (FM) can experience objective impairments in cognitive and executive function independent of depression. FM patients “often complain about the so-called ‘Fibro-fog’, a cluster of cognitive disorders not always reflected in poor test-based performance, but which strongly interferes with work and daily life,” lead author Valentina […]

Short-term effects of a manual therapy protocol on pain, physical function, quality of sleep, depressive symptoms, and pressure sensitivity in women and men with fibromyalgia syndrome

Short-term effects of a manual therapy protocol on pain, physical function, quality of sleep, depressive symptoms, and pressure sensitivity in women and men with fibromyalgia syndrome: a randomized controlled trial. Randomized controlled trial Castro-Sánchez AM, et al. Clin J Pain. 2014. Citation Clin J Pain. 2014 Jul;30(7):589-97. doi: 10.1097/AJP.0000000000000008. Abstract OBJECTIVE: To investigate the therapeutic effects […]

Hydrotherapy for Fibromyalgia

by Nancy Walsh, Senior Staff Writer, MedPage Today July 10, 2014 Various types of hydrotherapy and spa balneotherapy are popular among patients with fibromyalgia, and a systematic review and meta-analysis suggested that these types of therapy may be helpful for pain and quality of life. There was moderate to strong evidence in several studies supporting […]

Short-term effects of a manual therapy protocol on pain, physical function, quality of sleep, depressive symptoms, and pressure sensitivity in women and men with fibromyalgia syndrome: a randomized controlled trial

Clin J Pain. 2014 Jul;30(7):589-97. doi: 10.1097/AJP.0000000000000008. Castro-Sánchez AM1, Aguilar-Ferrándiz ME, Matarán-Peñarrocha GA, Sánchez-Joya Mdel M, Arroyo-Morales M, Fernández-de-las-Peñas C. Abstract OBJECTIVE: To investigate the therapeutic effects of a manual therapy protocol for improving pain, function, pressure pain thresholds (PPT), quality of sleep, and depressive symptoms in women and men with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). MATERIALS […]

OMERACT Analysis Categorizes Fibro Patients by Symptom Groups

Clinical Pain Medicine ISSUE: JUNE 2014 | VOLUME: 12(6) A series of statistical analyses of data from 581 patients with fibromyalgia suggests that they can be placed into one of four groups according to the severity of core symptom domains. The patients completed a comprehensive symptom profile guided by recommendations from the Outcome Measures in […]

Effects of Posteroanterior Thoracic Mobilization on Heart Rate Variability and Pain in Women with Fibromyalgia – Full Text

Rehabil Res Pract. 2014; 2014: 898763. Published online May 29, 2014. doi: 10.1155/2014/898763 PMCID: PMC4060169 Effects of Posteroanterior Thoracic Mobilization on Heart Rate Variability and Pain in Women with Fibromyalgia Michel Silva Reis Abstract Fibromyalgia (FM) has been associated with cardiac autonomic abnormalities and pain. Heart rate variability (HRV) is reduced in FM with autonomic […]

Chronic Pain: When Is It Truly Fibromyalgia? – Slide Show

Patients with fibromyalgia typically suffer for many years—and frequently are exposed to unnecessary, expensive, or invasive interventions—before being properly diagnosed. Do you know how to distinguish this disorder from other conditions that cause chronic pain? Full Story & Slide Show (password is – 3939)

Effects of exercise on depressive symptoms in adults with arthritis and other rheumatic disease: a systematic review of meta-analyses

BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 04/08/2014  Evidence Based Medicine  Clinical Article Kelley GA, et al. – Depression is a major public health problem among adults with arthritis and other rheumatic disease. The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review of previous meta–analyses addressing the effects of exercise (aerobic, strength or both) on depressive symptoms in adults […]

Effects of Vitamin D on Pain From Fibromyalgia

Commentary February 19, 2014 Robert Bonakdar MD, FAAFP Full Story This trial is novel for a number of reasons; namely, treatment was done daily (vs weekly), using cholecalciferol or vitamin D3 (vs vitamin D2), and dosing was based on deficiency levels and provided at 1200 to 2400 IU/day. Additionally, treatment had a goal of increasing […]

Fibromyalgia: New Criteria Improve Diagnosis 2014

Diedtra Henderson February 13, 2014 Full Story The 2011 modification of the American College of Rheumatology’s (ACR’s) 2010 preliminary criteria for diagnosing fibromyalgia (2011ModCr) reliably diagnoses the disorder in a large, diverse group of patients suffering from pain. In addition, easier-to-use alternate criteria with broader symptoms and pain locations are even more specific, according to […]

Fibromyalgia and Vitamin D – Interview with Florian Wepner, M.D.

Fibromyalgia and Vitamin D Florian Wepner, MD Department of Orthopedic Pain Management Spine Unit, Center of Excellence for Orthopaedic Pain Management Speising, Vienna, Austria +43 1 80182 / 1487 florian.wepner@oss.at “Effects of Vitamin D on Patients with Fibromyalgia Syndrome: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial,” Pain, 2014 Feb;155(2):261-8. 49825 (4/2014) Kirk Hamilton: Can you please share with […]

Effects of vitamin D on patients with fibromyalgia syndrome

A randomized placebo-controlled trial Florian Wepner PAIN®  Volume 155, Issue 2, February 2014, Pages 261–268 Abstract The role of calcifediol in the perception of chronic pain is a widely discussed subject. Low serum levels of calcifediol are especially common in patients with severe pain and fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). We lack evidence of the role of […]

Vitamin D May Ease Fibro Pain

FRIDAY, Jan. 17, 2014 (HealthDay News) — People suffering from the chronic pain of fibromyalgia might benefit from taking vitamin D supplements if they suffer from low levels of the vitamin, a new study from Austria suggests. There’s no cure for fibromyalgia, which can lead to pain, fatigue and several other symptoms, the researchers said. […]

Remarkable prevalence of coeliac disease in patients with irritable bowel syndrome plus fibromyalgia in comparison with those with isolated irritable bowel syndrome

Remarkable prevalence of coeliac disease in patients with irritable bowel syndrome plus fibromyalgia in comparison with those with isolated irritable bowel syndrome: a case-finding study Luis Rodrigo Arthritis Research & Therapy Volume 15, Issue 6 Abstract Introduction Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) are two common central sensitization disorders frequently associated in the […]

Pain and Relief Signals Muted in Fibromyalgia

Published: Nov 5, 2013 | Updated: Nov 6, 2013 By Nancy Walsh, Staff Writer, MedPage Today Full Story:  http://www.medpagetoday.com/Rheumatology/Fibromyalgia/42729 Action Points It’s becoming widely recognized that fibromyalgia is characterized by heightened sensitivity to pain, most likely because of abnormal central processing of painful stimuli. This study showed that patients with fibromyalgia exhibit disrupted brain responses […]