Fibromyalgia and the Spinal Cord

The theories about how the widespread pain of fibromyalgia occurs are numerous.  Far too many to go over in one article.  But the main theory that guides my treatment is a theory called spinal cord hypersensitivity.

To explain it, I have to lay down a little groundwork so you get a better understanding.  You will need to know a little bit about how the nervous system works.  Don’t worry, its not that difficult.

You may have noticed at some time in your life that you walked into a room and it smelled bad.  After being in the room a while, you probably noticed that you don’t smell it any more.  This is a normal function of your nervous system.  It filters out un-necessary information, so you can concentrate on other things.

Your body will also do this with pain, at least to a certain extent.  You cut your finger, it hurts for a while, then it goes away.  Partly because it is healing and partly because your brain realizes it’s just a cut finger and you don’t need to feel it as much anymore.

The filtering function happens in your spinal cord.  In a normal person’s spinal cord, sensations of pain get lessened over time.  In someone with fibromyalgia, the opposite happens, the pain gets worse.  So think about what would happen if you came into a room, it smelled bad, and the longer you sat there, the worse it got.  Well, welcome to the world of fibromyalgia.  The longer you have the pain, the worse it gets.

The phenomenon is called central sensitization and it was written about extensively in the January 2004 edition of the scientific journal, Pain.  The study explored how people with neck injuries and people with fibromyalgia get pain.  They concluded that “sensitization explains, at least in part, pain in the absence of detectable tissue damage, as found in both conditions.”

To treat fibromyalgia successfully, the issue of central (spinal cord) sensitization must be addressed.  In my office, we concentrate on getting rid of any posture problems that may be causing the cord to be stretched and irritated.  I also work on the patient’s diet and lifestyle to get rid of anything they may be eating that would cause the nervous system to be irritated or inflamed.  The treatment is very successful and allows people with fibromyalgia to return to a more normal life.

To learn more about how I treat fibromyalgia, log on to www.stopyourfibronow.com.