Younger individuals (<50 years) have a stronger genetic component in their fibromyalgia score than older individuals (>60 years), according to a study published in Arthritis & Rheumatology.1 Studies that suggest a strong familial component to fibromyalgia have often focused on individuals with primary fibromyalgia who did not have another accompanying disorder, the study authors report…. [Read More]
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is more effective than treatment as usual for improving function and other outcomes in patients with fibromyalgia, according to a new randomized trial. MBSR is an extension of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) intended to help patients change the way they experience symptoms, Dr. Albert Feliu-Soler of the Institut de… [Read More]
Using vibrational spectroscopy, investigators have discovered a characteristic signature in the blood of fibromyalgia patients that is distinct from other clinical conditions, including RA, OA and SLE…... [Read More]
Recent research demonstrated that fibromyalgia patients have lower cerebral blood flow velocity variability than healthy controls, which may reflect impaired coordination of cerebral regulatory systems. This analysis may be a promising tool for characterizing fibromyalgia pathology and understanding health-related quality of life…... [Read More]
Mirtazapine has been prescribed off-label to fibromyalgia patients who have not responded to other treatments. However, a recent systemic review found no difference between mirtazapine and placebo for these patients, and any potential benefits from mirtazapine may not outweigh its potential harm, including drowsiness, weight gain and liver damage…... [Read More]
A recent study found that the perception of experimentally induced pain is closely associated with neurocognitive symptoms, such as attention, memory and executive function, in fibromyalgia patients. Specifically, fibromyalgia patients described low-intensity pressure as more painful than controls did…... [Read More]
New research evaluated the effect of depression on the cognition of fibromyalgia patients, finding that these patients have a distinct cognitive profile. Researchers note that emotional symptoms, such as depression and anxiety, are essential to the cognitive performance of fibromyalgia patients and that treating these symptoms may reduce cognitive impairment…... [Read More]
Many patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) report pain despite excellent control of inflammation with immunotherapies. Variable degrees of coexisting fibromyalgia (FM) may explain this disparity. RA patients who have the highest 2011 ACR FM survey criteria scores appear to share neurobiologic features consistently observed in FM patients. This study is the first to provide neuroimaging evidence that RA is a mixed pain state, with many patients’ symptoms being related to the central nervous system rather than to classic inflammatory mechanisms…... [Read More]
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Tai chi improves fibromyalgia symptoms at least as effectively as aerobic exercise, according to a new trial. Aerobic exercise is the most commonly recommended non-drug treatment for fibromyalgia, Dr. Chenchen Wang of Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston and her colleagues note in The BMJ, online March 12.1 However, Dr. Wang… [Read More]
When a patient has fibromyalgia, sleep troubles are the last thing they need. Unfortunately, sleep problems affect a large number of fibromyalgia patients, and those problems can turn into a vicious cycle that interplays with daytime pain and fatigue. “Pain and sleep disturbances are a double-edged sword,” says Elika Kormeili, MFT, a licensed clinical psychologist… [Read More]