FM, CFS & Related Syndromes Personal Insight & Opinion Page I will be adding a more personal touch to this site. This will include my thoughts, observations and experiences related to these conditions. I will also add links to sites that support my opinions. This page will not necessarily be supported by research at the time of writing but who knows I may mention something that has validity. Stress & FM, CFS & Related Conditions My personal thoughts and observations of the influence of stress on people who are predisposed to these conditions as well as autoimmune conditions. AAPM: Improving Examination for Fibromyalgia of Intervertebral Disc Origin "NEW ORLEANS, LA -- February 24, 2003 -- Physicians should routinely perform a careful anterior cervical spine examination of C2 through C7 disc levels in order to accurately identify fibromyalgia of intervertebral origin, John McFadden, MD, medical director of the Tupelo Pain Clinic in Tupelo, Mississippi, said here February 20th at the 19th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Pain Medicine. "The purpose of this study was to look more closely at patients with anterior cervical spine tenderness," Dr. McFadden said, "to identify whether the pain is probably of disc origin, and to establish that a more thorough routine examination will more easily help establish the diagnosis of fibromyalgia of intervertebral origin." Between January of 2000 and January of 2001, the investigators studied 200 subjects with disc pain complaints requiring daily pain-control medication. Female subjects averaged 43.9 years, and male subjects averaged 44.8 years. Average duration of pain was 7.3 years in females and 6.5 years in males. All subjects reported at least 11 painful sites, as well as neck and lower back pain. All were examined using the index finger up and down the anterior cervical spine on both the right and left. Investigators found pain on one side of the cervical spine in 55% of females and on both sides in 45%. In males, they found pain on one side in 75% and on both sides in 25%. Almost the entire group (95%) reported headaches. The investigators note that 75% of the entire group had a diagnosis of depression, anxiety or both. Among subjects with 15 or more painful sites, 93% had a diagnosis of depression, anxiety or both. Sites of pain were found from C2 to C6 and L3 to L5. During examination, the investigators recreated a familiar pattern of usual pain, indicating to subjects that their pain was of disc origin, often of the cervical region. "Without a thorough examination of the anterior cervical spine, physicians can miss the connections, and perhaps miss an accurate diagnosis of fibromyalgia of intervertebral disc origin," said Dr. McFadden. "And without the best diagnosis, of course, we can't give the best treatment."" The Invisible Disabilities Advocate Sherri's personal story. It's lengthy but informative. Notice her lifestyle and emotional issues which may have contributed to the development of her conditions. CFIDS & Pollution I do believe that toxins from pollution such as chemicals and other environmental factors are a major contributing factor in triggering FM & CFS. UF researchers discover abnormal "pain memory" is key in fibromyalgia Research artical reveals how the nervous system is altered in FM. National Fibromyalgia Research Association This site includes a lot of information which is being researched on FM. It's informative. My thoughts and opinions on the development and etiology of FM There is no research to support this (yet) but there seems to be more people looking at this theory. The many causes of headache Migraine, vascular, drug-induced, and more Which common headaches do you have? Read the artical, they missed the PMS induced headache. "Migraine Migraine is clearly the most common headache type encountered by physicians. Unilateral head pain, nausea, photophobia, and phonophobia are hallmarks, but even without typical features, severe recurrent headache is most likely to be migrainous. Migraine with aura can take many forms. Visual auras may include scotomata (visual-field deficits), photopsia (brief flashes of light), scintillation (flickering lights, often surrounding the scotoma), visual distortions (ranging from blurring to dramatic elongation or contraction of images), and fortification spectra (bright, jagged lines resembling the outlines of medieval walled cities). Migraine with aura can also include motor, sensory, or language dysfunction. Auras may precede or accompany head pain and are generally brief (<30 minutes). Prolonged aura can occur, but aura symptoms persisting for longer than 1 hour should probably prompt further investigation of other possible causes, such as cerebrovascular disease, mass lesion, or seizures. Tension-type headache Tension-type headache is unfortunately named because, like migraine, it arises from centrally mediated neural dysfunction and is not a result of either emotional or muscular tension. Nausea is generally not a factor, and auras are not noted. Pain is usually more diffuse and milder than in migraine. However, both photophobia and phonosensitivity are common. Cluster headache and clusterlike headaches Diagnosis of cluster headache is not difficult; it consists of severe, brief periorbital headaches accompanied by lacrimation and nasal congestion that occur frequently over several weeks. However, cluster headaches in some patients do not fit the mold, and there are several interesting, albeit unusual, variant types with similar features. Chronic paroxysmal hemicrania consists of unilateral (often periorbital) headaches generally lasting 2 to 30 minutes and occurring many times a day. Like cluster headache, this condition is often accompanied by lacrimation and nasal congestion. However, cluster headache typically affects men, whereas chronic paroxysmal hemicrania has a marked female predominance and tends to affect younger patients. Another, more recently described syndrome--short-lasting, unilateral, neuralgiform headache with conjunctival injection and tearing (SUNCT)--involves clusterlike but very brief head pain (15 seconds to 2 minutes) (2). Chronic cluster headaches are typical cluster headaches that affect the patient year-round. Exertional headaches Benign exertional headache, also known as cough headache, consists of brief, diffuse head pain immediately following a cough, a sneeze, or other sudden Valsalva-type maneuvers. Although generally benign, these headaches can be worrisome because intracranial masses can produce headache with brief exertion. Exertional migraine refers to migrainous headache that occurs during exercise. Several types of headache can occur in relation to sexual intercourse. Dull coital headache is generally mild to moderately severe, located posteriorly, and thought to be due to excessive strain of cervical structures. Orgasmic, or explosive, coital headache occurs around the time of orgasm, is quite severe, and should be distinguished from subarachnoid hemorrhage. Postural coital headache occurs after intercourse and only when the patient is upright, resembling post-lumbar puncture headache. Interestingly, many clusterlike and exertional headaches are particularly sensitive to indomethacin (Indocin). Secondary Headaches Sinusitis involving the ethmoid, maxillary, sphenoid and, less commonly, frontal sinuses is a well-known cause of significant head pain. Pain is often frontal or periorbital and becomes worse on bending over or sneezing. Otitis also can cause severe head pain, often in the region of the mastoid, as can pharyngeal abscesses and intraoral (eg, dental) infection. Headache due to structural abnormality Arnold-Chiari malformation (ie, cerebellar tonsil herniation downward through the foramen magnum) is associated with chronic headache of two types: (1) brief, pancephalic cough headache, and (2) longer-lasting, dull, posterior headaches worsened by Valsalva's maneuver (11). MRI is diagnostic, and in some patients, surgical decompression procedures have been curative. Temporomandibular joint dysfunction and related entities Irritation or inflammation of muscles, joints, and nerves in the region of the temporomandibular joint can lead to pain. Although the pain is usually localized, it may be referred to a number of regions, including the temporal and frontal regions of the head (13). Ear pain and lessening of pain with consumption of a soft diet can be important clues. Polar Shift It's a lengthy artical on the Biblical prophecy of a polar shift in the last days. Part 2 Bible Prophecy Contains many articals pertaining to the last days prophecies. Twinsworld.com A site for twins. It looks interesting. I'll have to check it out since I'm a twin. You'll have to check it out too if you're a twin. MENOPAUSE Site includes information on menopause. Men can and often do experience these symptoms too. "Depression and Other Emotional Changes. Some menopausal women experience unexplained mood swings; others are unaccountably irritable, depressed, or forgetful. It is uncertain whether these psychological symptoms are directly related to menopause or to other circumstances that may coincide with menopause, such as the last child leaving home. Many researchers believe that a combination of hormonal and life-style factors are responsible."