#Fibromyalgia treatment

[globalstemcellcare]

Stem Cell Treatment For Fibromyalgia | Orthopedic Disease Treatment | Pain | Regenerative | Cells |

https://www.globalstemcellcare.com/orthopedic/stem-cell-treatment-for-fibromyalgia/

[ellicottacupuncturecentresblog]

https://www.classifiedads.com/health_wellness/95x97ftfh3db6

Effective Fibromyalgia Treatment Options in Frederick, MD

Are you seeking relief from fibromyalgia in Frederick, MD? Look no further! Our experienced team offers personalized treatment plans tailored to your specific needs. Medicine to treat fibromyalgia symptoms can include prescription drugs as well as over-the-counter options.

[neuronpainspineclinic]

Breaking Free from Fibromyalgia: Meet Our Specialist in Bhubaneswar

Fibromyalgia: a complex and often misunderstood condition affecting millions of people globally. Its widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, and tenderness can significantly impact one's quality of life. If you're grappling with fibromyalgia in Bhubaneswar, finding a dedicated specialist is essential. At Neuron Pain Clinic, we offer specialized fibromyalgia treatment in Bhubaneswar to help you manage and improve your symptoms effectively.

Understanding Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a chronic disorder characterized by heightened pain sensitivity, chronic fatigue, and sleep disturbances. The pain associated with fibromyalgia often involves tender points across the body, causing discomfort and limited mobility. Individuals with fibromyalgia may experience mood swings, memory issues, and cognitive challenges, further adding to the burden of this condition.

Seeking a Fibromyalgia Specialist in Bhubaneswar

In your journey to manage fibromyalgia, seeking a specialized fibromyalgia doctor in Bhubaneswar is crucial. At Neuron Pain Clinic, we understand the unique challenges that fibromyalgia poses and offer tailored treatment plans to address your specific needs. Our team of experienced fibromyalgia specialists in Bhubaneswar is dedicated to providing comprehensive care and support throughout your treatment.

Our Approach to Fibromyalgia Treatment

Our fibromyalgia treatment in Bhubaneswar focuses on a multidisciplinary approach, combining various therapies to alleviate pain and improve your overall well-being. Here's a glimpse of our approach:

Personalized Treatment Plans: Our fibromyalgia specialists in Bhubaneswar create customized treatment plans based on your unique symptoms, medical history, and lifestyle.

Pain Management: We employ advanced pain management techniques to mitigate the discomfort associated with fibromyalgia, helping you regain control over your life.

Physical Therapy: Physical exercises and therapies are integrated to enhance mobility, flexibility, and strength, ultimately reducing the impact of fibromyalgia on your daily activities.

Medication Management: Our specialists carefully prescribe medications to alleviate pain, improve sleep, and manage other symptoms associated with fibromyalgia.

Mind-Body Techniques: Techniques such as relaxation exercises, meditation, and mindfulness are incorporated to manage stress and enhance mental well-being.

Your Path to Relief Starts Here

At Neuron Pain Clinic, we strive to empower individuals living with fibromyalgia in Bhubaneswar. Our fibromyalgia specialists are committed to providing compassionate care, ensuring you receive the best possible treatment to improve your quality of life.

If you're seeking a fibromyalgia specialist in Bhubaneswar who understands the unique challenges posed by this condition, visit our Fibromyalgia page to learn more about our specialized treatments and book an appointment today.

Don't let fibromyalgia control your life. Take the first step towards a more comfortable and fulfilling life with Neuron Pain Clinic. Your path to relief awaits.

More Info Get in Touch with our Social Media Profiles Facebook, Twitter, YouTube & Instagram

[oaklandlifestylemedicine]

To treat fibromyalgia, contact Oakland Lifestyle Medicine, USA. We use nutritional IV therapy, which replenishes essential vitamins and hastens the body’s natural healing processes.

[sanguinifex]

Ok so every time I get a covid shot I have less fatigue and pain (other than being sore where I got the shot) for at least a week. I’ve always gotten Pfizer. Only exception is the time I got it the same day as the flu shot (which usually makes me more tired.) Is this a thing for anyone else? Can we make a treatment based on this?

[chronicpainmgmt]

Poor Circulation: The Hidden Culprit Behind Chronic Pain, Fibromyalgia, Neuropathy, and More

Poor circulation is a common but often overlooked cause of chronic pain, fibromyalgia, neuropathy, and other conditions. A recent estimate suggests that 8 million Americans have peripheral artery disease (PAD). Poor circulation is a major causative agent and results from conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. In this article, we will explore the link between poor circulation and chronic pain and discuss ways to improve circulation for better health outcomes.

The Importance of Proper Blood Circulation for Optimal Health

Proper blood circulation is crucial for overall health and well-being. The body’s ability to heal itself and maintain optimal functioning is compromised without proper blood circulation. We will explore the importance of proper blood circulation and its connection to chronic pain, fibromyalgia, neuropathy, the autonomic nervous system, and cellular oxygenation.

Causes and Symptoms of Poor Microcirculation

When the capillaries and other tiny blood channels aren’t doing their job, we have poor microcirculation. Autonomic dysfunction, neuropathy, and persistent pain are only some of the consequences of this condition.

Common factors that lead to insufficient blood flow to the tissues are:

Cigarette smoking.

Insufficient physical activity, especially in the legs and feet, has been linked to impaired circulation [4].

Poor circulation can be a symptom of diabetes.

Hypertension.

Poor blood flow, especially to the legs and feet, is a common symptom of peripheral artery disease.

Varicose veins are a medical condition characterized by the appearance of enlarged, tortuous veins in the legs and feet.

Inadequate microcirculation may manifest as:

Inadequate circulation can lead to a chill in the extremities, such as the hands and feet.

Sensations of numbness or tingling in the hands and feet can result from decreased blood flow.

Embolization: Fluid accumulation in the legs and feet is a common symptom of poor circulation.

Pain in the legs, foot, and back can be caused by poor circulation and be classified as chronic.

Low energy and exhaustion are also symptoms of poor circulation, which in turn can diminish the body’s oxygen supply.

The Immune System: White Blood Cell Sub-types and Its Functions

Leukocytes, or white blood cells, act as the body’s defense mechanism known as the immune system. Listed below are the types of white blood cells and their role in immunity:

Most white blood cells are neutrophils, the most common kind. They assist the body in fighting off germs and other intruders by swallowing them whole and killing them.

Lymphocytes aid in the immune system’s detection and elimination of foreign invaders. Lymphocytes can be broken down into two categories. While T cells assist in coordinating the immune response and directly target diseased cells, B cells create antibodies that detect and attach to specific infections.

Monocytes scavenge the body for broken down or dead cells and other waste. In addition to aiding in infection prevention, they aid in defense by enveloping and killing off potential pathogens.

Eosinophils aid in the fight against parasites and other pathogens. In addition, they have a role in allergic reactions.

Basophils have a role in allergic reactions. They cause an increase in inflammation and other allergic symptoms by secreting histamine.

When it comes to the body’s defenses against various infections and foreign invaders, white blood cells play a crucial role.

Chronic Pain and Poor Circulation

Millions of people throughout the world deal with chronic pain on a daily basis. It’s defined as pain that lasts longer than three months and can have a major effect on a person’s standard of living. In addition, research has shown that poor circulation often contributes to chronic pain.

Studies have found that people with chronic pain have reduced blood flow and oxygenation to affected areas, leading to inflammation and tissue damage. For example, one study by researchers at the University of Michigan found that people with chronic pain had reduced blood flow to their brain’s thalamus, which is responsible for processing pain signals. This reduced blood flow can increase pain sensitivity and make it more difficult for the body to manage pain effectively [3].

Fibromyalgia and Poor Circulation

Over 5 million people in the United States have fibromyalgia, a disorder that causes widespread, persistent discomfort. Pain, exhaustion, and tenderness in muscles and joints are classic symptoms. In addition, research has shown that people with fibromyalgia often have reduced blood flow to affected areas, which can contribute to the development of the condition.

In a recent study, researchers suggested that people with fibromyalgia had reduced blood flow to their hands compared to healthy individuals. Moreover, this reduced blood flow may contribute to the cold and numb sensations that people with fibromyalgia often experience in their extremities.

Neuropathy and Poor Circulation

Neuropathy is a condition that affects the nerves and can cause tingling, numbness, and pain in the hands and feet. Research has shown that poor circulation can contribute to the development of neuropathy. Diabetic neuropathy reduces foot blood flow, according to a Journal of Diabetes and its Complications study. The researchers suggested that this reduced blood flow may contribute to the nerve damage characteristic of neuropathy [2].

The Role of the Autonomic Nervous System

The autonomic nervous system controls blood flow and circulation. The sympathetic nervous system, which controls the “fight or flight” response, can cause vasoconstriction, reducing blood flow. The “rest and digest” response of the parasympathetic nervous system improves blood flow and relaxation.

Stress and anxiety can cause the sympathetic nervous system to become overactive, leading to poor circulation and chronic pain. Relaxation and parasympathetic nervous system activation, achieved through practices like meditation, yoga, and prayer, can boost circulation and alleviate the symptoms of poor circulation.

Apart from that, the results of a recent study suggested that people with autonomic dysfunction had reduced blood flow to their legs compared to healthy individuals. The reduced blood flow may also contribute to the development of peripheral artery disease. This condition affects the blood vessels that supply blood to the legs and feet [1].

Understanding the Perfusion Index

Peripheral perfusion, or blood flow to the body’s tissues, can be measured non-invasively with the help of a metric called the perfusion index. It is expressed as a percentage and is determined by comparing the pulsatile blood flow with the non-pulsatile blood flow.

In a recent study published in the Annals of the Romanian Society for Cell Biology, researchers aimed to investigate the effectiveness of transdermal carbon dioxide (CO2) in increasing perfusion index in patients with placenta accreta undergoing temporary abdominal aortic cross-clamping. Serious maternal morbidity and mortality can result from placenta accreta, a pregnancy complication. The study, which included 20 participants, shows that transdermal CO2 is effective in enhancing perfusion in those affected by placenta accreta [20].

The findings further emphasize the significance of perfusion in preserving tissue health. Chronic pain, fibromyalgia, and neuropathy are just a few of the disorders that can develop from inadequate blood flow. Increasing perfusion is a proven method for treating these ailments and improving health as a whole.

Transdermal CO2 – A Promising Technology for Improving Perfusion

A customized device is used in transdermal CO2 therapy to supply CO2 to the skin’s surface in a non-invasive manner. The increased perfusion and accelerated healing are the results of the CO2 being absorbed through the skin and into the bloodstream. Many medical issues, such as chronic pain, wound healing, and skin rejuvenation, have benefited from the application of this technique.

Patients with placenta accreta receiving temporary abdominal aortic cross-clamping may benefit from transdermal CO2 therapy, according to the study’s findings. Patients reported no negative reactions to the treatment. The results of this study may have major ramifications for the management of placenta accreta and other disorders where enhanced perfusion is necessary [20].

Transdermal CO2 therapy is a non-invasive, low-risk substitute for invasive, conventional procedures. Patients have the option of self-administering the therapy at home or under medical supervision. Chronic pain, fibromyalgia, neuropathy, and other disorders may all benefit from transdermal CO2 therapy because of its capacity to increase blood flow and speed recovery.

Cellular Oxygenation and Blood Circulation

Proper cellular oxygenation is crucial for optimal health and well-being. When cells do not receive enough oxygen, they can become damaged and die, leading to various health problems. Research has shown that poor blood circulation can lead to reduced cellular oxygenation and contribute to various health conditions.

According to a study in PLOS ONE, researchers claimed that people with peripheral artery disease had reduced oxygen levels in their leg muscles compared to healthy individuals. The researchers suggested that this reduced oxygenation may contribute to the muscle pain and weakness that people with peripheral artery disease often experience [18].

Increasing blood flow to the brain through exercise was found to improve cognitive function in older persons, according to a study published in the American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology. The study suggests that proper blood flow and oxygenation to the brain are essential for maintaining cognitive function as we age [15].

Improving Blood Flow

Improving blood flow is key to reducing symptoms associated with poor circulation. In addition, exercise can help increase blood flow to muscles and improve overall cardiovascular health. For example, a Journal of the American Medical Association study mentioned that exercise improved walking distance and reduced leg pain in patients with PAD [10, 14].

One additional effective method of increasing circulation is through massage therapy. Patients with fibromyalgia who received massage therapy reported less pain and increased blood flow, according to research published in the International Journal of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork [5]. Compression socks and stockings, for example, have been shown to increase circulation to the lower extremities. Compression therapy was found to be useful in reducing PAD symptoms in research published in the Journal of Vascular Surgery [6].

Natural supplements are another option for increasing circulation with the aforementioned techniques. L-arginine is an amino acid that has been shown to increase blood vessel dilatation, making it a potentially useful dietary supplement. L-arginine supplementation was reported to significantly increase blood flow and decrease PAD symptoms in a study published in the Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology [7]. Nitric oxide, a gas produced naturally by the body, is another supplement to control blood pressure. Supplemental nitric oxide significantly increased blood flow and decreased blood pressure in hypertensive patients, according to a study published in the Journal of Hypertension [9].

Improving Microcirculation

Microcirculation refers to blood circulation in the smallest blood vessels, including capillaries and arterioles. Improving microcirculation is important for promoting healing and reducing symptoms associated with poor circulation. One way to improve microcirculation is through the use of low-level laser therapy (LLLT), which involves using a low-power laser to stimulate blood flow. The Journal of the Neurological Sciences includes a study that suggests LLLT effectively improves microcirculation and reduces pain in patients with neuropathy [8, 19].

Another review summarizes the results of various clinical research that show how beneficial LLLT is for treating TMD. The clinical data suggest that LLLT can alleviate TMD-related discomfort, enhance jaw function, and reduce inflammation. Patients treated with LLLT showed statistically and clinically significant improvements in pain reduction and joint mobility compared to placebo individuals in one clinical study. LLLT has been shown to reduce pain and enhance function for up to six months after treatment, according to another study. Insights into the possibility of LLLT as a safe and effective therapy option for TMD are provided by the clinical evidence examined in this publication [12, 13].

Improving Cellular Oxygenation

Improving cellular oxygenation is also important for promoting healing and reducing symptoms associated with poor circulation. One way to improve cellular oxygenation is to practice deep breathing exercises, which can help increase blood oxygen levels. For example, a Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development study mentioned that deep breathing exercises effectively improved oxygen saturation levels in patients with neuropathy [16].

Another way to improve cellular oxygenation is through hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), which involves breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized chamber. Not just that, researchers also suggested that HBOT effectively reduced pain and improved the quality of life in patients with fibromyalgia in a Journal of Pain Research study [17].

Conclusion

Poor circulation is a common but often overlooked cause of chronic pain, fibromyalgia, neuropathy, and other conditions. Improving blood flow, microcirculation, and cellular oxygenation can help to promote healing and reduce symptoms associated with poor circulation. Exercise, massage therapy, compression therapy, and natural supplements such as L-arginine and nitric oxide can all help to improve blood flow.

Low-level laser therapy and deep breathing exercises can improve microcirculation and cellular oxygenation. In contrast, mind-body therapies can help to activate the parasympathetic nervous system and reduce stress and anxiety. Individuals with chronic pain and other conditions can experience improved quality of life and better health outcomes by taking steps to improve circulation.

Author: Dr. Ubaid khan Published author with expertise in conducting meta-analysis, 20+ publications in PubMed indexed journals, research paper collaboration with neurosurgeons at Mayo Clinic, extensive medical knowledge, clinical experience, and providing exceptional patient care. 

[cognifitbraingame]

Improve Your Focus and Productivity with a Concentration Test

If you're looking to evaluate your cognitive processes and improve your attention skills, try out the Concentration Test from CogniFit! This professional tool is scientifically designed to detect symptoms, traits, and dysfunctions related to attention in just 15-20 minutes. Perfect for children over seven years old, adolescents, and adults, the assessment battery is easy to navigate for any user. Don't let attention-related issues hold you back any longer - take the first step towards understanding your cognitive strengths and weaknesses today!

[healthcareinformations]

Do you Know about Fibromyalgia? To know more about fibromyalgia Treatment, at Stem Cell Care India, please visit

Website- https://www.stemcellcareindia.com/

[captain-web-design]

Top Medical Marijuana Strains for Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia, an overwhelming and complex neurological disorder, has stunned the medical field with its frequently hard-to-see yet crippling symptoms.

Fibromyalgia is a medical condition where you feel chronic muscle pain. It lessens your personal satisfaction and obstructs your capacity to perform essential assignments. Individuals who have fibromyalgia continually live with fatigue and pain in their bodies, as well as a sensation like a fire consuming their skin.

This neurological disorder appears unexpectedly. While a flat-out fix still can't seem to be found, cannabis has demonstrated that it can be a decent partner for those experiencing this difficult condition.

What is Fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is a neurological disorder that produces extreme pain all over the body. While its precise reason is obscure, a few specialists accept it is connected with changes in our focal sensory system, which change our view of pain.

Women are particularly inclined to develop fibromyalgia, being multiple times more impacted by it than men. While it generally happens somewhere between the ages of 30 and 55, kids and youths can likewise experience its ill effects.

Symptoms of Fibromyalgia

The symptoms of fibromyalgia are weakening and adversely influencing the patients' personal satisfaction. As a result, they frequently require the assistance of others in order to go about their days without experiencing horrifying pain on a daily basis.

A few normal symptoms of fibromyalgia include:

Fatigue

Insomnia

Forgetfulness

Sensitivity to cold climate

Joint pain

Chronic pain

Mood swings

IBS

Swelling in the hands and feet

Medical Marijuana and Fibromyalgia 

Regular treatments incorporate anti-seizure medication, painkillers, and antidepressants. We don't need to help you remember the side effects of these treatments.

Specialists suspect fibromyalgia is brought about by an imbalanced endocannabinoid system. An endocannabinoid system can become lacking, making you more delicate to pain, rest, and mood disorders. Notwithstanding, a significant number of the patients concur on a certain something that pot appears to back off their symptoms and pain.

If fibromyalgia makes it hard to fall or stay unconscious, high-THC indica-dominant cannabis strains could take care of your concerns. Smoking it will instantly help you and allow you to fall asleep faster. High THC content is frequently recommended for evening use, as its psychoactive effects will not interfere with your daytime productivity. If you don't require psychoactive effects, high-CBD strains may also help with reducing the intoxicating effects of THC.

Best Medical Strains for Fibromyalgia

Some cannabis strains stand apart to help people who experience the ill effects of the symptoms of fibromyalgia. Furthermore, we've found that the accompanying marijuana strains have been very valuable for fibromyalgia.

Harlequin

This sativa-dominant hybrid is an extraordinary strain for psychological help. Harlequin strain is a surprising relaxant with the ability to calm the mind and keep one focused.

Also, Harlequin is an elevating and joy-inducing weed. This sativa-dominant cannabis will allow you to keep your efficiency flowing without experiencing secondary effects.

Furthermore, it's an optimal strain to smoke during the day, which might assist you with finishing stuff. With up to 15% CBD content and 7% THC content, the 2:1 CBD-to-THC proportion is all you need to feel energized without a psychoactive high.

Bubba Kush

Bubba Kush is a powerful muscle-relaxant strain that can likewise prompt satisfaction. This 100 percent indica strain with up to 22% THC can deliver an extraordinary head high that can make you languid whenever consumed at a high dose.

For individuals living with fibromyalgia, this is the strain that can bring pleasure back to their lives. Fibromyalgia has a ton of related symptoms experienced by its patients; however, on account of the Bubba Kush cannabis strain, which offers muscle relaxation, the aggravation from these symptoms can be reduced.

A couch-locked impact can rapidly happen due to its serious areas of strength. Also, it can oversee outrageous body torment, mood swings, absence of rest, absence of appetite, and depression.

Romulan

Romulan is an ideal relaxant, causing you to feel like you're drifting on mists. Assuming that you keep smoking more, it might leave you languid, making it the ideal evening smoke.

The euphoria of this powerful indica can convey a significant body high and could make you couch-locked. In this manner, it's suggested that you hit a few puffs and unwind.

Romulan can likewise initiate joy and giggles. It will moderate your negative contemplations and cause you to feel excited. You will feel like you have not a care in the world, which will make you want to kick back and relax.

Headband OG

Headband OG offers unwinding from stress, throbs, and chronic pains. The strain causes a buzz around your head that feels like you are wearing a headband, which looks like its name.

Its high lasts for around 2–3 hours, and its effects shift and increase the more you smoke. A headband is ideal for evening use because it has strong narcotic effects that aid in the relief of cerebral pains and migraines, which are considered normal fibromyalgia symptoms.

The joy that Headband induces is notable, providing a quieting and mitigating sensation. This elevating experience makes Headband a strain that every cannabis fan should attempt once.

Cannatonic

Cannatonic created a generally light and smooth high that doesn't last as long as other strains, but it is appealing for precisely that reason.

It has a nearly 1:1 THC to CBD ratio, which can cause a created high to allow you to figure out your perspectives. This hybrid medical cannabis makes you feel loose, cheerful, and certain. Cannatonic permits you to feel stimulated without psychoactive effects.

Cannatonic is known to be exceptionally wealthy in CBD, which can assist you with managing anxiety, depression, and other neuropathic pains. For those experiencing fibromyalgia and searching for an entirely dependable daytime medical strain, Cannatonic is for you.

Final Words

As most of us are aware, cannabis laws are changing, and this is only the tip of the iceberg; more fibromyalgia patients will likely seek medical cannabis to relieve pain and depression. There's a great deal of trust among individuals with medical conditions who need the best arrangement with cannabis.

Obviously, there are numerous symptoms of fibromyalgia, and they influence everybody in an unexpected way. Luckily, we have various strains for various pains. The strains on this list of the best marijuana strains for fibromyalgia are successful at treating each of the fibromyalgia symptoms.

[2zonetherapy]

The 2Zone Therapy Technique done by Muscle Pain (MYALGIA) Specialist has a number of unique procedures, which help the body to

distinguish

cure

aid in recovery

The courses

The course is live one to one. Each student needs to bring a patient with the condition they are enrolling for. The treatment and course work is as seen on the day of treatment. It is the student’s responsibility to take notes, as each treatment varies on the patient’s condition.

[bizlybebo]

sorry im still dead and will probably continue 2 be…. take this as penance

[ghostonly]

This is so fucked up. This article is from 2017 but afaik is still accurate. Let me know if anything has been done about this since then - possibly during the early pandemic?

TL;DR most medications seem to be stable for leagues longer than their expiration dates say, and their expiration dates have been extended federally after doing periodic potency testing with the drugs hoarded by the US government, but the FDA refuses to extend the official expiration dates. It's illegal for medical professionals to dispense expired drugs, so perfectly good medications are being thrown out constantly.

[ryegarden]

little PSA for anyone struggling with undiagnosed fatigue or long term fatigue without a visible cause - if you've found similarity with conditions like POTS, fibromyalgia, or chronic fatigue, or if you have chronic pain, heavy menstruation, difficulty focusing/brain fog, memory and concentration issues, intolerance to exercise and/or an abnormally fast heartrate/heart palpitations. Get your ferritin levels checked 👍 because it might be non-anaemic iron deficiency! It's only fairly recently that scientists/doctors have seen and taken note that low ferritin (carrier of iron in your blood), even if you have normal iron levels, can cause serious health issues often misdiagnosed. It's treatable with high level iron supplements!!!

Guidelines (at least in the UK) state that normal levels are 5-204ug/L but in reality, anything below 100ug/L can lead to really awful symptoms like those described above. It's more common in people who menstruate, especially if you have heavy periods (also other types of blood loss like blood donation or gastrointestinal issues), as well as people who are vegetarian, and consume a lot of products that inhibit iron absorption (such as tea, coffee, cow milk, and egg yolks) or have a condition that impairs iron absorption such as coeliac.

I normally don't make posts like this but I have had these issues for the past eight years and only just found that this might be the source. It's underdiagnosed and thus undertreated, and so maybe the knowledge will help someone else out too 👍

[pandemic-info]

At Yale’s Long COVID Clinic, Lisa Sanders Is Trying It All

excerpts:

Since the beginning of the pandemic, she — together with colleagues in the pulmonary and neurology departments — had been seeing long-COVID patients at Yale but often in an ad hoc way. Some of the doctors had become so flooded with people seeking help that they were having difficulty scheduling and treating their regular patients who came to them for everything else ...

Long-COVID patients, generally speaking, have been very miserable for a very long time, and because the illness attacks their brains, their hearts, their lungs, their guts, their joints — sometimes simultaneously, sometimes intermittently, and sometimes in a chain reaction — they bounce from specialist to specialist, none of whom has the bandwidth to hear their whole frustrating ordeal together with the expertise to address all of their complaints: the nonspecific pain, the perpetual exhaustion, the bewildering test results, the one-off treatments. “These are people who have not been able to tell their story to anybody but their spouse and their mom — for years sometimes,” Sanders tells me. “And they are, in some ways, every doctor’s worst nightmare.”

...

Long COVID has been pushing the limits of hospital systems everywhere, not just at Yale. As Americans emerged from the most acute phase of the pandemic, as mask and vaccine mandates lifted and life returned to a semblance of normal for the people who had contracted COVID and recovered, primary-care physicians started to say, “‘I’m not interested in long COVID,’ or ‘I don’t treat long COVID. Let me refer you to a specialist,’” said David Putrino, who runs the new chronic-illness recovery clinic at Mount Sinai. For their part, Putrino added, the specialists were saying, “This is not what my practice is. This is not an emergency anymore.” Patients all over the country reported monthslong waiting times for appointments at long-COVID clinics. All the while, scientists and pundits heaped skepticism on the very notion of long COVID, arguing that infection made people stronger, that new variants posed no threats, that the danger of long COVID was overblown — implying that what patients were suffering from was all in their heads.

Forgotten in this debate are the 65 million people worldwide for whom the pandemic remains a torturous everyday reality.

...

In the late 1990s, patients with a galaxy of unexplained chronic symptoms — including fatigue, sore throat, joint pain, insomnia, dizziness, brain fog, and depression — began to gather into activist and identity groups, calling themselves sufferers of “chronic Lyme.” They had something, they argued, related to a previous infection from the bite of a deer tick, but their doctors were dismissing them as whiners and neurotics. This was in an era when the medical Establishment was rolling its collective eyes at patients who were querying whether diagnoses of “chronic fatigue syndrome” or “fibromyalgia” might fit their symptoms — ones that looked very much like those linked to chronic Lyme.

Sanders joined the chorus of debunkers. These patients had real symptoms and real ailments, she asserted in Every Patient Tells a Story. But the collection of symptoms was “hopelessly broad and overinclusive,” she wrote. “These are some of the most common symptoms of patients presenting to a primary care office.” She concluded that chronic Lyme was a “phantom diagnosis.” 

“I completely regret that chapter,” she says now. “I would like to rewrite it.” Sanders explains that she was reacting to the doctors who were preying on suffering people by prescribing interminable courses of antibiotics that were not helping them: “But I completely misunderstood it. The patients were making the connection between their symptoms and Lyme disease.”

...

“We’re not paying enough attention,” she said. “We’re not. Doctors are still dismissing this disease as something that’s in your head. I have seen the exchanges on Twitter: ‘Long COVID is exaggerated, not real.’” Women are diagnosed with long COVID at roughly twice the rate of men, Iwasaki pointed out: “I think if the situation was reversed, we’d pay even more attention to this disease.” - Akiko Iwasaki, immunologist at Yale [also known for her work nasal vaccine & long covid research]

...

But even Sanders was not prepared for how little doctors and scientists know about long COVID. There is no blood test. Health officials can’t even agree on how to define it. The CDC describes long COVID as “signs, symptoms, and conditions that continue or develop after acute COVID-19 infection” — or, in Sanders’s paraphrase, “You got COVID and then something bad happened.” Under the CDC definition, patients have long COVID if they are symptomatic at least four weeks after initial infection. The WHO defines it similarly but with a different time frame: occurring or lasting at least three months after initial infection. This discrepancy matters to Sanders because, as much as possible, she wants to identify patients who have long COVID and not those who may take a little longer to recover from their original illness. In her clinic, she uses the WHO definition.

...

Sanders, more than ever before, is dependent on the patient’s account — on detailed specifics — to establish her diagnosis. It’s a process of elimination and deduction. So she has “learned just to shut the fuck up and listen.”

[aro-culture-is]

quick note - this blog is gonna be sparse again for at least this week. trying new medications and tbh initial side effects are not super pleasant + actual effects build up. as a result: currently as if unmedicated for mental health, with anxiety+ side effect, extra fatigue, dizziness, and fatigue. it's uh, sure something.

totally recognize that most of y'all know we're absent at times due to health things, just wanted to give a heads up that this one is at least anticipated.