Lesson 1: Exactly What is Fibromyalgia?
The Causes
What causes fibromyalgia? No one really seems to know. We do know what triggers it: stress, a viral or bacterial infection, traumas such as a death in the family or an automobile accident. Why these events trigger fibro in some people but not in others is not yet fully understood. One theory is that we are genetically predisposed to develop it, because of some other physical abnormality.
Exactly what that abnormality is hasn't yet been determined satisfactorily. It could be that our body's autonomic nervous system is not working properly. Some studies have shown that fibro patients are deficient in serotonin and Norepinephrine, and have too much substance P. These neurotransmission regulators affect the functioning of our heart, lungs and other vital organs that we normally don't consciously think about.
P. Substance P is a pain neurotransmitter; fibro sufferers have levels three times that of "normal" people in their spinal fluid.
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that is involved in many of our behaviors and moods: depression, hunger, sleep onset and aggressive behaviors are all affected by our serotonin levels.
Norepinephrine has a role in our attention levels, stress levels and moods.
So excesses of these can affect a lot both physically and psychologically.
