Fibromyalgia

Patients with a range of pain conditions may face amplified discomfort based how on how they perceive their symptoms. The findings were presented at the 34th Annual American Pain Society Scientific Meeting in Palm Springs, CA.

If previous research has shown a correlation between chronic pain and depression, it's only natural that the same can be said about chronic pain and happiness – right? A new study shows that's not the case.

Opioid addiction is a serious problem that a subset of patients prescribed opioids for pain could face; however, the issue presents an even more slippery slope for those with chronic pain due to the long-term need for the drugs.

A collaborative team from the Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic recently examined the prevalence of migraines in patients with fibromyalgia. The study, presented at the 34th Annual American Pain Society Scientific Meeting in Palm Springs, CA, used patients from the Mayo Clinic Fibromyalgia Registry database.

The lack of biomarkers for some life-changing conditions makes diagnoses and treatments more challenging. A new study identified possible biological factors for certain painful diseases.

While maintaining high levels of physical activity may not appeal to many patients with fibromyalgia (FM), doing so may be the best way to help ease their pain.

Cases of prescription opioid misuse, abuse, and addiction are still on the rise, claiming thousands of lives each year.

Not only does poor sleep result in more pain for fibromyalgia patients, but it is also linked to a lower pain threshold.

Exercise can reduce depressive symptoms in patients with arthritis and rheumatic diseases, according to a recently published meta-analysis.

Treatments for women in pain must differ from men's treatment, and often is, according to a study by the American Society of Anesthesiologists.

Pfizer announced pregabalin controlled release was effective therapy in adult postherpetic neuralgia patients.

Knowledgeable practitioners can effectively discuss pathophysiology and treatment strategies for amplified pain with patients and prescribe a treatment approach that does not require drug therapy for pain or sleep aids.

Study participants who drank moderate amounts of alcohol each week experienced decreased chronic pain prevalence and lower levels of disability compared to non-drinkers.

Study results show that patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia often discontinue treatment. Those that do not frequently augment their initial treatment regimen with one or more additional medications, including some that are not recommended by current guidelines.

Recent studies looking at neural response in patients with fibromyalgia have shown that people with this condition may have hypersensitivity to non-painful stimuli.

Although many fibromyalgia patients complain of chronic pain throughout their bodies, treatment has been difficult. However, in a new study, lidocaine injected into peripheral tissues reduced pain sensitivity.

Osteoarthritis (OA) patients who experienced pain had brain mechanisms similar to fibromyalgia (FM) patients, according to a study published in the European Journal of Neuroscience.

Although fibromyalgia lacks an effective standardized treatment, one part of the problem is the condition's diverse constellation of symptoms that include chronic widespread pain, fatigue, and even depression.

A small study found that patients with severe pain and fibromyalgia syndrome reported a marked reduction in pain with the cholecalciferol supplementation.

Noting that it takes an average of 5 years before a fibromyalgia patient receives a diagnosis, researchers conducted a retrospective data analysis to identify significant variables that may enable earlier detection and diagnosis of fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia patients who don't respond to Lyrica (pregabalin) may see their pain scores significantly improve after adding Savella (milnacipran) to their treatment regimens.

Analysis of claims data finds patients often receive starting doses of Butrans that do not follow published recommendations, with more than one-third of patients receiving initial doses that are too low.

Pain has been associated with a number of conditions, including addiction, depression, and anxiety. Greater awareness of concurrent comorbid conditions and the options available to treat them produces better outcomes in chronic pain patients.

The advent of accountable care organizations, bundled payments, and other reforms under the Affordable Care Act has steered the focus of health care delivery from quantity to quality, but where exactly do pain medicine providers fit into the new value-based care model, and how can it benefit their patients?

As more than 60 percent of women with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) also exhibit abdominal pain consistent with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms, two researchers in the neural and pain sciences department of the University of Maryland School of Dentistry, in Baltimore, have developed a model to better illustrate the two conditions' comorbidity.

With most medical schools devoting only a few curriculum hours to pain management training, many physicians begin their medical career underprepared to meet the needs of patients suffering with chronic pain. Here, Barry Cole, MD, identifies several key concepts that would help improve pain care in the US if only more physicians would learn about them sooner.

Recently, a group calling itself Physicians for the Responsible Opioid Prescribing proposed several radical changes to the way we treat patients with chronic noncancer pain, calling for limits on the dose and duration of opioid treatment that would in effect deny these medications to the majority of patients now receiving them for noncancer pain.

The variety of mechanisms that play a part in pathologic pain perception leads to a great deal of complexity and variation in the clinical presentation and severity of fibromyalgia symptoms, as well as a high degree of variability in patient response to treatment.

Myofascial pain syndrome and fibromyalgia are common forms of musculoskeletal pain that are often confused with each other, not only because of similar symptoms, but also because they frequently occur in the same patient, which can lead to difficulties in differential diagnosis and treatment.

Our evolving understanding of the potential causes of fibromyalgia, and its placement along a continuum of related conditions, informs an individualized treatment approach.