Atlanta doctors have new relief for fibromyalgia pain
Our Atlanta doctors are first in Georgia to provide a most exciting, effective and long-lasting non-drug fibromyalgia treatment. Transcranial direct current stimulation or tDCS is a non-pharmacologic, non-painful and non-invasive treatment. tDCS doesn’t merely mask the pain of fibromyalgia, it treats the underlying pathology. Fibromyalgia results from dysfunctional brain activity. Transcranial direct current stimulation modulates the activity of neurons in the brain, returns function to normal and reduces the pain. There are no side effects because tDCS does not stimulate the nerves directly, only facilitating normal physiologic function. tDCS seems too good to be true, but in a Harvard study, tDCS reduced the pain of fibromyalgia an average of 50% in all patients treated.
Read more about transcranial direct current stimulation.
About fibromylagia pain
While doctors do not yet understand what causes fibromyalgia pain, doctors are making advances in treating it. This is welcome since fibromyalgia is a chronic pain condition that may last years or even a lifetime, an expensive proposition.
Doctors report that four out of five fibromyalgia patients are women, with age 40 to 60 the group most affected. But people of all ages can have fibromyalgia, even children.
Fibromyalgia symptoms include chronic pain, tenderness, fatigue, and sleep problems. Fibromyalgia pain can disrupt your daily life and can cause psychological problems, anxiety and stress.
Fibromyalgia pain can be widespread throughout your body, migrating to different areas. Fibromyalgia patients can experience back pain, shoulder pain, neck pain and pain in joints, arms and legs.
Chronic pain that lasts is typical with fibromyalgia and can occur in various ways that vary in pain intensity:
- Stabbing pain
- Deep muscle aching
- Throbbing pain
- Twitching pain
- Numbness
- Tingling pain
Fibromyalgia patients can experience fatigue and exhaustion that interferes with work, personal activities, or hobbies. Stamina can be reduced. It’s not uncommon to experience sleep disorder that causes a fibromyalgia patient to become tired when deep sleep is interrupted.
Other fibromyalgia symptoms sometimes occuring are headaches, migraines, impaired memory, difficulty with cognitive decisions and thinking, lack of coordination, irritable bowel syndrome, restless leg syndrome, ringing in the ears, and problems with vision.
Alternatives to pain drugs for fibromyalgia
If you have fibromyalgia you are likely paying attention to the $250 million year in advertising spent to promote three FDA-approved drugs: Lyrica, Cymbalta, and Savella.
Lyrica (an anti-seizure drug), Cymbalta, and Savella (anti-depressant drugs) can reduce the pain of fibromyalgia. These drugs must be taken everyday (for the rest of your life?)
How effective are these drugs? Lyrica, at the maximum dosage, reduces Fibromyalgia pain by 50% in only 27% of patients. At this dose there are side effects: 43% of patients are dizzy, 23% are sleepy, 15% have headaches, and 10% gain weight. Cymbalta and Savella only reduce fibromyalgia pain 30% in 50% of patients. Nausea, dizziness, fatigue, insomnia, and itching are side effects.
A study published in the January 14, 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association reviewed 18 studies of anti-depressant drug treatment for fibromyalgia. Curiously the pain reduction produced by the class of drugs which include Cymbalta and Savella was rated as “small.” The pain reduction produced by the tricyclic class of antidepressants was rated as “large.” The trycyclic antidepressant drugs became available in the 1950’s. Their patents expired long ago, so inexpensive generics are available ($4 a month or $10 for 3 months’ prescription.)
Since pain drugs don’t work for everyone with fibromyalgia, or are too costly, a more effective and less costly alternative is offered by our Atlanta pain doctors: tDCS or transcranial direct current stimulation.
Fibromyalgia info online
A randomized, sham-controlled, proof of principle study of tDCS for the treatment of the pain of fibromyalgia
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17133529
For Professionals – Institute for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation of New York: tDCS in fibromyalgia: The study by Roizenblatt and his colleagues (2007) evaluated the effect of tDCS on sleep structure in fibromyalgia
www.newpaintreatment.org/for_professionals.htm
Fibromyalgia – MayoClinic.com
www.mayoclinic.com/health/fibromyalgia/DS00079
National Fibromyalgia Association
www.fmaware.org/
Fibromyalgia Network News
www.fmnetnews.com/