Research News
Research News
Get Wired! In the first randomized, controlled trial of cranial electrical stimulation (CES) therapy in patients diagnosed with FM, individuals with FM were divided into three groups: active CES device therapy, a sham device, and usual care alone. Those individuals using the active device had a greater decrease in average pain than individuals using the sham device or receiving usual care alone over time. Preliminary analyses of the functional magnetic resonance imaging data on a subset of six participants from each of the two device groups show that individuals using an active CES device had a decrease in activation in the pain processing regions of the brain compared to those using a sham device. The decrease in activation in the pain processing regions may indicate a decrease in neural activity in these regions that may be related to decreased pain. But, as this is the first study of its kind – this kind of therapy cannot guarantee us less pain yet. Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulators are available but their worth to us has not been proven.
Doctor: Fibro? No, You Have a Mental Disorder! Do you: have a disproportionate thoughts about the seriousness of your symptom(s)? have a high level of anxiety about your symptoms or health? Devote excessive time and energy to your symptoms or health concerns? Almost everyone who has FM has had at least one of these reactions – especially during the time before you get an accurate diagnosis. It would be unusual not to have serious concerns about your health when you’re experiencing symptoms severe enough to disrupt your daily life and you don’t know what is causing them. Well, guess what? You might have a mental disorder, according to the soon to be released 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), commonly known as the DSM-5. The DSM is published by the American Psychiatric Association and is the standard classification of mental disorders. It includes the diagnostic codes, a set of diagnostic criteria and additional information on each disorder.
(Please do not use your TENS unit on your head!)
The problem with the DSM-5 is there is a new diagnostic category called “Somatic Symptom Disorder.” According to the diagnostic criteria, a person can be diagnosed with Somatic Symptom Disorder (SSD) if for at least six months, they have had one or more symptoms that are distressing and/or disruptive to their daily life, and they have one of above listed reactions.
Have you visited the new FIBROMODEM website yet?
According to these criteria, 1 in 6 people with cancer and heart disease; 1 in 4 with irritable bowel and FM; and 1 in 14 who
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