Latest Research News
There is more research into fibromyalgia all the time and now with a new research register, medical researchers will be better able to coordinate their efforts to finding a cure, or at least more effective treatments.
Research Register
The National Fibromyalgia Association (NFA), which is a national patient support association, helps sufferers deal with fibromyalgia. It is also involved with educating both medical professionals and family members, as well as the general public about this painful and misunderstood condition.
The Association has recently teamed up with RemedyMD, a leading provider of patient and research software, to compile and provide a national database of fibromyalgia treatment. This will allow researchers to correlate, combine and analyze research data worldwide. Such a system will enable the NFA to further fibromyalgia research around the world. And by enabling researchers to identify patterns of the disease this should lead to more effective diagnosis and treatments.
Jazz Pharmaceuticals
The FDA in early October 2010 refused approval for the latest fibromyalgia drug to come out of Jazz Pharmaceuticals, to be known as Rekinla, mainly due to concerns that the medication could be abused. The FDA feels that more trials are necessary before they can consider giving the drug approval. The company considered that this drug known as JZP-6 (Sodium Oxybate) currently used for narcolepsy and daytime sleepiness under the brand name Xyrem could also be a suitable treatment for fibromyalgia sufferers. The company will now have discussions with the FDA to see how they can meet the FDA requirements so that the drug can help patients.
Adolescents And Exercise
Research just published in The Journal of Pain shows how teenagers suffering from the disease have less pain and disability the more active they are. They were also significantly less depressed than those who didn’t take the exercise recommended by their doctors.
Overweight?
Norwegian research published in the May issue of Arthritis Care & Research also shows the importance of exercise in reducing fibromyalgia symptoms. It is also especially important to keep your weight within the normal range as having a high BMI (body mass index) increases the risk of developing fibromyalgia.
Tai Chi
Recent research, published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) shows that doing Tai Chi improves fibromyalgia symptoms in a significant number of sufferers, compared to regular stretching exercises. So why not join a local class and see if it helps you.
Keep Moving
Dr Roca Medical Director at Greenwich Hospital’s Center for Integrative Medicine in Cos Cob, Connecticut also backs up the idea of movement to help sufferers. He believes even gentle movements like stretching while lying down is helpful. He also recommends that his patients move in warm water as it is soothing and gentle. So why not try going to your local swimming pool to give it a try?
Anger And Sadness
Research about to be published in Arthritis Care & Research shows that people who have negative emotions like anger and sadness experience more pain than people who don’t, whether they have fibromyalgia or not. The researchers suggested that taking pain management classes, and having CBT (cognitive behavior therapy) soon after diagnosis helps people manage their pain better.
Virtual Reality Treatment
Researchers at the University of Valencia are developing a treatment using virtual reality systems and mobile devices such as Bluetooth to increase positive emotions in sufferers. By learning new strategies to deal with the pain, researchers believe they can enable patients to improve their moods and thus their lower their overall pain perception.