The Mysteries of Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia still has so many unknowns. Experts still don't know what causes it. They don't know what might cure it, if anything. They also don't know why women get the disease more than me. They often don't even know you have it, so missed diagnoses are common.

So what do we know about fibromyalgia? It's not arthritis, because arthritis involves the skeletal system, while fibromyalgia affects the muscular system. It's a chronic condition, and it can last a long time, possibly even afflict you for your entire life.

It generally develops in 20-50 year olds. Four to six million Americans suffer with it. It disturbs or prevents restful sleep. And we know, thankfully, it isn't a progressive disease.

There is hope though, for the millions who are suffering with the constant pain and muscle stiffness. Researches are ongoing to find the reason for the disease, and once it has been found, then we can start to find a cure.

A few experts are starting to find that the reason for fibromyalgia is due to disturbances in the endocrine system and the autonomic nervous system, specifically, the stress response of both those systems.

The 'neuroendocrine axis', which refers to the crossing over of the nervous system with the endocrine system, has been closely studied in consideration with the sleep disturbances found in most fibromyalgia patients. In Studies conducted, the non-REM sleep phase of fibromyalgia patients have been disturbed by alpha waves that shouldn't be there, repeatedly keeping them from progressing to stage 3 and stage 4 of sleep.

During those stages, insulin growth factor is released. Since fibromyalgia sufferers often don't reach those stages, they often have low levels of that hormone.

Studies where disturbed non-REM sleep was artificially created have shown that they can actually produce some of the symptoms of fibromyalgia. With alpha waves intruding when they shouldn't, it is no wonder that so many fibromyalgia patients are experiencing 'non-refreshing' sleep night after night.

Other endocrine and neurological abnormalities they've found include elevated levels of certain neurotransmitters in the cerebrospinal fluid that enhance pain perception, up to three times higher than normal levels. Fibromyalgia patients also tend to have lower than normal cortisol production.

While all that may sound a bit technical, the bottom line is researcher are making progress in the area of finding a cause for fibromyalgia. No one knows how long it may take to pinpoint it exactly, but it should give hope to those suffering from it. Of course, then they'll have to begin work on how to cure it.

If you are suffering from fibromyalgia, you've found the right page. You don't need to continue with the pain while waiting for scientists to develop a cure. You can join today the ever growing number of people my fibromyalgia program has already helped.

The fibromyalgia program does not entail complicated exercises. It only involves learning a few simple techniques, and it only takes a few minutes each day to do. With my program, you too can reclaim your life today!

About the Author

Christian Goodman is a popular natural health alternative writer and the creator of the Natural Health Blog. His most recent work is the Fibromyalgia Treatment, which has now helped thousands of people cure their Fibromyalgia naturally.