Pain in Your Brain
The Fibromyalgia, Migraine, Chronic Pain and Dizziness Link
In the previous issue I discussed fibromyalgia as a neurological condition. All the newest research points to brainstem injury and malfunction as a major cause if not THE cause. In this article I will discuss the causative links to symptoms that follow the crippling condition of fibromyalgia; the links to migraines, chronic pain and dizziness.
On July 17, 1990 President Bush and congress signed a presidential declaration designating the 1990’s to be the “Decade of the Brain.” This led to an explosion of brain research by world-class scientists and researchers and has been the subject of the Emmy Award winning PBS documentary, Waking up the Brain—Amazing Adjustments, as well
as numerous Discovery Channel documentaries.
Nobody wants to live in pain, yet millions do every day of their lives. Studies in brain-based neurology mark the latest in specific diagnosis and treatment to target the cause of pain where it begins - in the brain. Through the science of Functional Neurology, or the function of neurology, the body is enabled to return back to its normal function as it was originally designed to work.
The study of brain circuitry and its connection with the rest of the body has unveiled new treatments in this new science that are non-invasive and without chemicals to bring relief to all those tired of suffering with fibromyalgia, debilitating migraines, fatigue, vertigo, numbness and a variety of other chronic pain conditions.
These exciting breakthroughs and latest scientific discoveries have changed the way the medical community views chronic pain and its understanding of how the brain interacts with the rest of the body, as well as what goes wrong when it is injured or damaged. Now, finally, treatment procedures and diagnostics that look at the underlying aspects of brain function behind the cause of the symptoms have emerged.
This state-of-the-art science addresses the underlying pathways from the brain that block the body’s ability to regulate normal function. Through a neurological examination, it can be determined which part of the nervous system is not functioning properly. Treatments can be pathway specific and certain areas of the brain can be isolated.
What needs to be looked at is the electrical imbalance in the neurological wiring of the nervous system that targets the brain misfiring. If one part of the brain begins to function less than optimally, messages are misinterpreted by brain cells and can get jumbled or amplified. In scientific terms this is called Functional Disconnection Syndrome.
The causal mechanism for amplification of the pain signal pathway is called central sensitization, also known as “central sensitivity.” This is when the entire nervous system becomes hypersensitive to a stimulus and amplifies its pain signal, even should the stimulus be extremely mild.
Such sensitivity is the reason for the multi-faceted characteristics of fibromyalgia and its manifestation of widespread pain and symptoms. This is the reason why so many symptoms resolve when the internal brain circuitry is regulated.
Many fibromyalgia and chronic pain patients tell me that they are extremely sensitive to light, sounds, and even light touch. They feel very irritable and short-tempered.
Sufferers with this debilitating condition and chronic pain commonly have symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, migraine headaches, chronic fatigue, restless leg syndrome, memory problems (brain fog), insomnia, rapid heartbeat, difficulty in breathing, hormone imbalance, allergies, lowered immunity, depression and the list can go on.
Once short circuits develop in the system, they persist. The control center is situated in the brainstem. For instance, the top of the brainstem controls your awake and sleep patterns and fires at its highest at 3 p.m. and at its slowest rate at 3 a.m. That explains why the fibromyalgia patient goes through interrupted sleep patterns, leading to exhaustion. Cortisol is also released, which is toxic to the brain and memory. I have patients tell me that they walk into a room and then forget why they were there.
The fibromyalgia patient may have increased, decreased or irregular heartbeats because of faulty pathways from the brainstem to the electrical nodes of the heart. Fluctuation of heartbeats can lead to a sudden increase or decrease in blood pressure, which greatly affects our blood supply and oxygenation to vital organs such as the cerebellum.
The cerebellum is located at the back part of your brain and can be the cause of unexplained dizziness, back and neck pain. The proper neurological examination addresses the cause and saves the patient a lifetime of pain and suffering.
I have seen many patients that have gone for months, even years, from doctor to doctor and each one looks at only one dimension. In reality, ALL THESE SHOULD BE ASSESSED AT THE SAME TIME. Patients become frustrated because there are no clear answers other than pain killing medications, which either stop working, don’t work at all, or cause serious side effects.
The success of the treatment and case outcome result are directly related to the critical groundwork of the accurate and thorough exam and assessment in order to establish the proper neurological findings.
Herein lies the doctor’s skill and ability to understand, recognize and interpret the importance of body responses in the form of neurological tests and signs to determine the precise type of procedure needed to restore proper pathway communication.
Detecting and uncovering these complex layers and underlying mechanisms as they manifest in the patient, and NOT generalities of the condition, has been the critical factor and key to the successful outcome of results in even the most severe and chronic conditions of fibromyalgia, chronic pain and dizziness.
Dr. Gilbert S. Jaudy, D.C., C.C.S.T. has advanced training in Brain-Based Functional/Clinical Neurology. If you would like to know how you may benefit from this care, you may contact the office to schedule a complimentary consultation at 760-587-7437
References: What Do You Do When the Medications Don’t Work? Dr. Michael Johnson, DC, DACNB
Brain Repair, Stein, Brailowsky, Will