I reread my blog on misleading diagnoses and central sensitization, and it confused me, so it must have confused some of you. The point was that if so many of us have different interpretations of pain and how to treat it, we can’t all be right.
I want to discuss specific pain syndromes where it is unclear what causes the pain. We have batted around some causes and possible explanations for Nonspecific Low Back Pain. I want to explore Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS), a condition characterized by widespread, diffuse pain on both sides of the body, above and below the waist. In order to be diagnosed with FMS, patients must experience pain at a minimum of 11 out of 18 specified tender points, stiffness in joints, extreme fatigue, and difficulty sleeping. Due to the diffuse nature of FMS, it is often difficult to pinpoint a specific pain generator.
In order to understand why we have problems identifying a significant source of pain, I am suggesting that we explore and understand central sensitization – the phenomenon of increased sensitivity of the central nervous system to all stimuli because of tissue damage somewhere in the periphery. This means that an injury at a peripheral site – for example, the hip or shoulder – can cause sensitivity in the central nervous system, which controls how we perceive and respond to stimuli. This causes too much response for the amount of input – which means someone who is sensitized will experience pain in response to a stimulus that normally would not cause pain.
Filed under: Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS) • pain management
Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!
