Many different types of medical conditions are classified as a disability and qualify an individual for social security disability benefits. The conditions can be physical, like back injuries. They can also be mental, such as autism or schizophrenia.
Many other conditions much more complex, like fibromyalgia, are labeled as a disability and are just as debilitating. However, fibromyalgia is often touted as a psychosomatic condition, or one that’s simply made up in the minds of patients. The results of a recent study may possibly shed light on the condition and debunk this myth.
What is fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is characterized as a disorder of the central nervous system that causes widespread pain throughout a person’s entire body. Sufferers often experience other symptoms such as fatigue, joint stiffness, numbness and tingling in the hands and feet, among many others, that are debilitating.
The disorder has been linked to genetic, environmental, factors but many healthcare professionals still admit they aren’t sure about the exact cause of condition. However, a recent study conducted by Intidyn, a pharmaceutical company, may potentially reveal the true cause of the condition.
The study
Collaborating with the Albany Medical College, researchers from the study looked at skin samples from various women suffering from fibromyalgia. They found a huge number of nerve endings of the skin’s blood vessels in these women-particularly in the skin of their hands and feet.
Much of the body’s blood flows through the hands and feet. And, when it travels through these nerve endings, the result is excessive sensation and often pain.
According to Dr. Frank L. rice, lead researchers and president of Intidyn, the results of the study show that excessive sensory nerve endings are what’s causing fibromyalgia pain and irritation, not the brain.
This isn’t the first time Intidyn looked into linking nerve endings in blood vessels with fibromyalgia. A few years ago, a report was published in Pain and detailed a story about a woman suffering from the condition, but researchers concluded at the time that the nerve endings simply regulated blood flow and weren’t attributed to pain.
Today’s data, however, suggests otherwise.
Hope for Fibromyalgia sufferers
Researchers hope the results of the study will help shed light on the condition and debunk the myths that the condition is simply psychological and not real.
Hopefully as more research is conducted on fibromyalgia, better treatment options will be available for patients struggling to live with the disorder.
