It's Not all in your Head after all..

Researchers have new reached a new breakthrough in relation to fibromyalgia.

Previously, researches believed fibromyalgia to be a psychological problem. Approximately 20 years ago, it was believed to be a change in the way the brain processed pain, causing hyperactivity in pain centres, although the cause was unknown.

Now researchers have gone one step back and discovered something that may cause the hyperactivity in your brain.

Your hands... sounds too simple to be true? The culprit is thought to be our arteriole venule shunts. How do they work? They work to keep our hands and nerves at the right temperature, kind of how a car radiator works. In warm conditions, the shunts close, which forces blood into the capillaries at the skin surface to radiate heat from the body. Under cold conditions, the shunts open allowing blood to bypass the capillaries to conserve heat, which is why our hands get cold.

Excessive nerve fibers concentrated in these areas are thought to cause mismanaged blood flow, causing muscle pain, acheyness and hyperactivity in the pain centre of the brain.

So does it explain all our symptoms? Probably not. Is it an important breakthrough? Yes. It shows progress.

It means we are one step closer to figuring out how this madness began and how we might cure it or ease the suffering from it.

Source: http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1112879104/fibromyalgia-is-not-all-in-your-head-new-research-confirms/

Nothing a glass of wine can't fix???

Does alcohol actually make fibromyalgia worse? If so, how?

According to the Mayo Clinic USA and researchers at Michigan University, low and moderate drinkers had better scores for physical function, ability to work, the number of work days missed, fatigue and pain, than people who abstained. Moderate drinkers who had between three and seven standard drinks a week seemed to have less pain than low or heavy drinkers.

Why? Aminobutyric Acid (GABA), an inhibitory neurotransmitter, which is low in our brains, is thought to bind with the alcohol causing lower perceived pain levels. But like any good thing, too much is going to hurt you. And when it wears off, the pain levels are likely to return.

Keep in mind, if you do if have intolerances such as fructose intolerance, you will need to limit your drinking to spirits or one glass of dry red wine depending on your tolerance levels.

How does alcohol affect your pain levels? Does it make it better or worse?

For details of the full article, read at: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130315074615.htm

Welcome back!

Hi fellow bloggers and friends.

Apologies for the long delay between posts. Unfortunately the nature of this illness is that sometimes back to back flare ups make it quite difficult to survive, let alone blog or do anything else.

But by the grace of God, I hope I keep being strong enough to keep trucking on and keep blogging.