Fibromyalgia Causes

The underlying cause or causes of Fibromyalgia is closer to being understood because of new research findings that continue to bring a better understanding of the basic mechanisms of fibromyalgia. Most researchers agree that Fibromyalgia is a disorder of central processing with neuroendocrine/neurotransmitter dysregulation.

The Fibro patient experiences pain amplification due to abnormal sensory processing in the central nervous system. An increasing number of scientific studies now show multiple physiological abnormalities in the Fibro patient, including: increased levels of substance P in the spinal cord, low levels of blood flow to the thalamus region of the brain, HPA axis hypofunction, low levels of serotonin and tryptophan and abnormalities in cytokine function.

Fibromyalgia Research

Recent fibromyalgia studies show that genetic factors may predispose individuals to a genetic susceptibility to Fibromyalgia. For some fibromyalgia patients, the onset of Fibromyalgia is slow; however, in a large percentage of fibromyalgia patients the onset is triggered by an illness or injury that causes trauma to the body. These events may act to incite an undetected physiological problem already present.

Exciting new research has also begun in the areas of brain imaging. Ongoing research will test the hypothesis that Fibromyalgia is caused by an interpretative defect in the central nervous system that brings about abnormal pain perception. Medical researchers have just begun to untangle the truths about fibromyalgia, this life-altering disease.