The Unknown Facts of Fibromyalgia
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by: ChristianGoodman
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Fibromyalgia is still a mystery. Experts still don't know why it happens, how to cure it, or if there is a cure for it. It seems to affect women more than men, and they don't know why this is so. They often can't give proper diagnoses, because they often don't know that you have it.
So what is known about fibromyalgia? We know it's not arthritis. Arthritis affects the skeletal system, and fibromyalgia involves your muscular system. We know it's a chronic condition that lasts a long time and can possibly afflict you for your entire life.
People between the ages of 20 and 50 are prone to developing it. Four to six million Americans are afflicted with it. It keeps you from getting a good night's sleep. Luckily, we also know that it's a progressive disease.
There is hope on the horizon though, for the millions who live every day with constant pain and muscle stiffness. Research continues to find a cause for fibromyalgia and the hope is, once a caused has been identified, work can begin to find a cure.
Some experts are beginning to believe the underlying cause of fibromyalgia is related to disturbances in the endocrine system and the autonomic nervous system. More specifically, the stress response of both those systems.
The 'neuroendocrine axis', which refers to the crossing over of the nervous system with the endocrine system, has been studied closely with regard to the sleep disturbances found in most fibromyalgia patients. Studies have shown that fibromyalgia patients have their non-REM sleep phase disturbed by alpha waves that shouldn't be there, frequently keeping them from progressing to stage 3 and stage 4 sleep.
Insulin growth factor is released during those stages of sleep. A third of Fibromyalgia sufferers have low levels of that hormone because they often don't reach those stages.
Studies where disturbed non-REM sleep was artificially created have shown that they can actually produce some of the symptoms of fibromyalgia. With alpha waves intruding when they shouldn't, it is no wonder that so many fibromyalgia patients are experiencing 'non-refreshing' sleep night after night.
Other endocrine and neurological abnormalities they've found include elevated levels of certain neurotransmitters in the cerebrospinal fluid that enhance pain perception, up to three times higher than normal levels. Fibromyalgia patients also tend to have lower than normal cortisol production.
While everything sounds scientific, the bottom line is that they are slowly finding out why people are suffering from fibromyalgia. No one knows how long it may take to pinpoint the cause exactly, but it should give hope to those suffering from it. Of course, then they can start looking for a cure.
But if you suffer from fibromyalgia pain, you've landed on the right page. It's not necessary for you to continue hurting while you wait on scientists to develop a cure. You can join today the ever-growing number of people my fibromyalgia program has already helped.
The fibromyalgia program does not entail complicated exercises. It only involves learning a few simple techniques, and it only takes a few minutes each day to do. With my program, you too can reclaim your life today!
About the Author
Christian Goodman is a popular alternative health alternative writer and the creator of the Natural Health Blog. His latest work is the Fibromyalgia Treatment, which has now helped thousands of people cure their Fibromyalgia alternatively.
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