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Four patients, all with chronic pain, and all with a diagnosis of fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS): which of these patients is actually suffering from this disorder?
Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) remains an elusive condition of unknown etiology, in which patients report chronic widespread pain (allodynia or hyperalgesia) and a variety of other complaints including fatigue, sleep disorders, cognitive deficit, irritable bowel and bladder syndrome, headache, Raynaud’s syndrome, bruxism, atypical patterns of sensory dysethesia, and other symptoms.
Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a relatively new diagnostic entity that surfaced in the rheumatology literature in the late 20th century. Certain patients experienced widespread aches and pains not confined to any specific muscle or joint.
Traumatic experiences and stressors in childhood have historically been overlooked as predisposing factors in the development of various chronic pain disorders and psychiatric conditions, including fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, insomnia, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and chronic fatigue syndrome.
Sleep is one of the most vital elements of achieving good health, and its importance cannot be overstated. Nearly every system of the body depends on satisfactory sleep quality and quantity for routine healing, repair, and restoration.
CBD (cannabidiol) is a cannabinoid compound extracted from the cannabis plant. Various Cannabis species exist and supply over 100 cannabinoids, but medicine has focused primarily on either tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or cannabidiol (CBD) for pain management.
A substantial portion of the nation’s working population has jobs that involve lifting and carrying heavy objects. Muscles metabolize carbohydrate stores to accomplish such work. Little is known about how muscles replenish carbohydrates from day to day during the workweek
Autoimmune disorders have been on a steep rise in the industrialized countries over the past several decades.
With the concomitant explosion of research into the microbiome, and more specifically the gastrointestinal microbiota (GM), showing linkages between specific aberrant patterns (signatures) of dysbiosis and greater prevalence of specific chronic complex metabolic diseases, including autoimmune conditions, there is a natural desire to understand why these relationships may exist, whether they are simply associations or causal, and what mechanisms may underlie such relationships. This article will review some of the known mechanisms by which bacterial organisms in the GM may contribute to immune dysregulation and potentially the development of an autoimmune disorder in an individual.
The genesis of this article is as a follow-up to a presentation delivered at the 2011 American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP) annual convention on the topic of autoimmune disease.
With the steady increase in the incidence of virtually every autoimmune disease occurring in the Western industrialized world, and standard treatment still relying mainly on symptom control using overt immune suppressing medications which carry significant side-effects, clinicians are rightly looking for any advantage in the prevention and upstream management of autoimmune disorders.
As preventative health continues to be a primary focus, we continue to seek out ways to improve health through diet and lifestyle changes such as exercise.
Question: How does the controversy about Vioxx, and other selective COX-2 inhibiting anti-inflammatory medications, change the recommendations on the use of anti-inflammatory agents?
There is great concern in the medical community over the excessive use of nonsteriodal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including COX-2 inhibitors, and steriodal anti-inflammatory medications, as well as narcotic pain relievers, due to potentially serious side effects and dependency.
This literature review attempts to answer the following question: Which of the 4 forms of B12 commercially available today is the best to use for particular clinical cases, and should genetic polymorphisms involved with B12-related pathways be guiding the selection for a particular use?
The incidence of metabolic syndrome (MetS), type II diabetes (T2D) and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) has been progressively increasing. Insulin resistance (InsR) seems to play a key role in a majority of phenotypes of these conditions, altering metabolic homeostasis, within muscle, liver, adipose and other tissues.
This article will review the evidence for the abilities of myoinositol (MI) and D-chiro-inositol (DCI) to improve dysglycemia and related characteristics of metabolic syndrome (MetS), type 2 diabetes (T2D), gestational diabetes, and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) by acting in critical metabolic pathways of insulin resistance (InsR).
For those of you with your nerves still frayed and hearts broken over the horrific act of violence in Newtown, the holiday season was a very difficult one this year, and particularly so for those of us here in the neighboring communities of Connecticut.
Within the past five years, many nutritionally and holistically minded chiropractors have embraced “functional medicine” treatment concepts in dealing with the management of many commonly encountered chronic illnesses, including fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis.
Thyroid disorders are among the most commonly encountered metabolic disorders in private practice. The strong tendency for thyroid disorders to cause musculoskeletal symptoms make the understanding of these disorders even more critical to the practicing chiropractor.
This article will discuss why adrenal hormones, digestion, and diet must be addressed. Specific therapeutic strategies will be discussed.
In the March 20 issue, I explored hypothyroidism in detail. In this second and final part, I’ll discuss hyperthyroidism and thyroid cancer.
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multisystem autoimmune disorder without a known cure. Conventional medicine typically approaches the disease with a treatment plan that includes the use of corticosteroids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), antimalarial drugs, and chemotherapeutic agents.
The intestinal flora is a complex ecosystem consisting of over 400 bacterial species that greatly outnumber the total number of cells making up the entire human body. These metabolically active bacteria reside close to the absorptive mucosal surface and are capable of a remarkable repertoire of transforming chemical reactions.
The population of the microbiota of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is widely diverse and complex with a high population density.
There is general, if not universal, agreement among objective nutrition scientists that the vast majority of foods typically consumed by Americans are best described as fraudulent foods.
Autoimmune Diseases: Leaving the Era of Reaction and Entering the New Era of Prediction.