What has helped my migraines

I am writing about my experience with what has reduced my migraines to help others who are living with migraine. Obviously my experience does not replace the advise of a medical expert. What I am suggesting has been suggested by a neurologist and you can run it by your doctor. 

Gray matter volume and pain in Fibromyalgia: A Study

This study 'Subtle changes of gray matter volume in fibromyalgia reflect chronic musculoskeletal pain rather than disease‐specific effects' was published in August 2019.

My take on the study
It did NOT show any difference in the 2 groups that were studied:
(a.) those with Fibromyalgia (b). those with osteoarthritis.

BOTH GROUPS had altered gray matter volume (GMV)

Both groups had increased gray matter volumes in the sensorimotor cortex.

Both groups had decreased GMV in the temporoparietal junction.

It was therefore concluded that these changes were from chronic pain in general.

"we did not identify significant and FMS‐specific GMV alterations when adopting a conservative statistical approach of multiple comparison correction. However, with a more liberal approach increased gray matter volumes in the sensorimotor cortex and decreased GMV in the temporoparietal junction in both pain groups in comparison with healthy controls were revealed. Since both pain groups showed nearly identical GMV changes in these areas, cortical GMV changes in FMS should not be interpreted as FMS‐ specific but might rather reflect changes in chronic pain in general."

It was a relatively small study done by a team of researchers at the University Hospital Muenster, in Germany.  25 women with fibromyalgia,  23 patients with osteoarthritis and 21 people with no chronic pain were assessed. 
General pain‐related GMV alterations
The sensorimotor system encompasses all of the sensory, motor, and central integration and processing components involved with maintaining joint stability during bodily movements.
The temporalparietal junction is responsible for sorts through information from the external environment as well as from within the body and processes it into a clear package. 
GMV changes in the frontal cortex near the region of the precentral/sensorimotor cluster have been previously shown in Fibromyalgia (Jensen et al., 2013).
These changes have also been seen in chronic pain in general (Smallwood et al., 2013).
This sensorimotor area, of the brain, is known to be important in pain intensity and repetitive painful stimulation in healthy controls. It causes increased GMV due to the pain input (Teutsch, Herken, Bingel, Schoell,; May, 2008). This has been interpreted as a sign of neuronal adaptation.

The function of the sensorimotor cortex UNIVERSITY OF FRIBOURG

The Temporalparietal Junction (TPJ) might play an interface function between the salience network and the executive control network for response inhibition and interference control (Kucyi, Salomons, & Davis, 2016).
It has been hypothesized to be the key region redirecting attention away from pain and attempting to keep unwanted thoughts about pain out of awareness (Kucyi et al., 2016). Therefore, abnormalities in this area may lead to dysfunctional control of pain such as an increased anxious expectation (Coppola et al., 2017) or altered affective regulation in chronic pain (Liotti et al., 2000).
A recent study showed reduced activity in the TPJ of adolescents compared to adults during an extinction task, suggesting a role for the TPJ in anxiety disorders. (Ganella et al., 2017)

A Nexus Model of the Temporal-Parietal Junction

If you want to read the full report of the study please go here to Wiley Online Library: 
Sundermann B, Dehghan Nayyeri M, Pfleiderer B, et al. Subtle changes of gray matter volume in fibromyalgia reflect chronic musculoskeletal pain rather than disease‐specific effects. Eur J Neurosci. 2019;00:1–10. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejn.14558
Please keep in mind that this is just my interpretation of the study and I am not a medical professional just a person with many health conditions, including fibromyalgia, who has an interest in helping others to understand medical research. Lee Good. 
I have 20+ years of experience helping people with chronic illness to understand research information. I am the WEGO winner, 2018/19 for building the best patient community around Fibromyalgia. You can join our private Fibromyalgia community, FIBRO CONNECT, here. 
RESOURCES: Function of the sensorimotor cortex image. University of Fribourg
Temporalparietal Junction. ScienceDirect
A Nexus Model of the Temporal-Parietal Junction. ResearchGate

Multiple chemical sensitivity and Fibromyalgia

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) is an overlapping condition that frequently goes hand in hand with Fibromyalgia and many other conditions.

MCS is a syndrome where the sufferer experiences multiple symptoms when exposed to small amounts of everyday chemicals. Find out more including my personal story here.

And isn't is annoying! Out go all the perfumes - you can no longer wear - out go all the beautiful smelling candles and face products and hair shampoos. You can no longer use these without getting a headache, watery eyes and wheezing. 

The weekly pumping of gasoline causes dizziness, inability to concentrate and nausea. 

Heaven forbid walking into a nail salon or a freshly painted room.  

Yes, that's right the treatment for MCS is to try and remove all the triggers from your life. That's why going into the world is like a lucky dip - will I encounter someone with strong perfume or after shave in the elevator? Will I have to walk through the perfume department of the store to get to the manchester that I need? 

And can anyone please tell me why buying cleaning products, like shampoos and conditioners, with perfumes removed, cost MORE money.

No one seems to know whether Fibromyalgia leads to MCS or vice a versa or whether they have related causes.

MCS is a syndrome where the sufferer has multiple symptoms when exposed to small amounts of everyday chemicals. MCS is a term used to describe this condition which has heightened sensitivity to chemicals. It is also called Idiopathic environmental intolerance (IEI).

The bad thing is that, according to research at the University of Melbourne, occurences of MCS have risen 300 % in the last decade! 

​

Professor Anne Steinemann from the University of Melbourne estimates that 55 million Americans have chemical sensitivity.  Some people have only mild chemical sensitivities, while others have a more severe form.

A full list of the symptoms of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity are:

Asthma

Breathlessness

Coughing

Difficulty sleeping

Digestion problems

Dizziness

Fatigue

Headache

Impaired concentration

Joint pains

Lethargy

Memory problems

Muscle pain

Nausea

Runny Nose

Sinus

Sore throat

Stinging eyes

Wheezing

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The 1999 Consensus Statement criteria for Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) are:

1. The symptoms are reproducible with (repeated chemical) exposure.

2. The condition is chronic.

3. Low levels of exposure (lower than previously or commonly tolerated) result in manifestations of the syndrome.

4. The symptoms improve or resolve when the incitants are removed.

5. Responses occur to multiple chemically unrelated substances.

6. Symptoms involve multiple organ systems.

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Other overlapping conditions include:

Chronic fatigue syndrome

Costochondritis

Irritable bowel syndrome

Myofascial pain syndrome

Restless leg syndrome

TMJ or temporomandibular syndrome

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Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) – FAQ

Does it have another name?

Yes! MCS is also known by several other terms:

• Idiopathic Environmental Intolerances (IEI) – a more clinical term used in research and healthcare

• Environmental Illness

• Sick Building Syndrome – when symptoms are linked to indoor environments

How common is it?

• In Australia, it's estimated that around one million people may experience MCS

• Prevalence varies globally, and exact numbers are hard to pin down due to differing diagnostic criteria and recognition

How is it diagnosed?

Diagnosing MCS is challenging because:

• There’s no universally accepted test or biomarker for MCS

• Diagnosis is typically based on:

  • Patient history of symptoms triggered by low-level chemical exposures

  • Exclusion of other medical conditions that could explain the symptoms

• Common symptoms include headaches, fatigue, breathing difficulties, and cognitive issues after exposure to everyday chemicals like perfumes, cleaning products, or inks

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If you would like more scientific information about MCS please go to this informative article by Mithila at MCS Resource 

Understanding multiple chemical sensitivities

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SOURCES:
Annals of Internal Medicine

Research Gate: Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Review

The Environmental Illnesss Resource

Accelerated Brain Gray Matter Loss in Fibromyalgia

This a frightening and devastating discovery, of accelerated brain gray matter loss in Fibromyalgia. It is especially distressing when coupled with the symptoms most fibromyalgia fighters describe as brain fog - not being able to concentrate, not taking information in, poor decision making, poor memory etc. These symtoms are upsetting enough without knowing that our brain is losing it's gray matter.

Gray matter contains most of the brain's neuronal cell bodies. The gray matter includes regions of the brain involved in muscle control, sensory perception such as seeing and hearing, memory, emotions, speech, decision making, and self-control.

This report, published in The Journal of Neuroscience, April 11, 2007, showed there was a decrease in gray matter in fibromyalgia sufferers, relating to how long they'd had the disease. This decrease was much faster than in the normal population.

"The patients, who ranged from 27 to 61 years of age, demonstrated a yearly decrease in gray matter volume more than three times that of age-matched controls."

The research carried out at Universities in both Canada and the UK prove there is Central Nervous System involvement in fibromyalgia.

The question is are these changes in the brain the cause of fibromyalgia or as a consequence of it?

The good news is these findings may mean new approaches in treatment such as protecting the brain and could possibly mean symptoms may be able to be reversed.

MRI of brain.

Does anyone know of any studies that builds on this?

To find out more about the research quoted here please contact M. Catherine Bushnell, McGill Centre for Research on Pain, 3640 University Street, Room M19, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 2B2. Email: Catherine.bushnell@mcgill.ca

LINKED UP AT FIBRO FRIDAY No 6.