Fibromyalgia, an example of a central pain syndrome, is a chronic health condition characterized by symptoms like widespread muscle pain, fatigue, memory problems and mood changes. Many people withfibromyalgiacomplain that sleep – or lack thereof – is one of the most frustrating challenges of living with fibromyalgia.
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Scientists evaluated clinical studies on 21 complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to determine if they help the pain and disability associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), osteoarthritis (OA), fibromyalgia and low back pain. Other forms of arthritis and related diseases were not included in the analysis. Of the therapies included in the studies, they rated acupuncture, massage, yoga and tai chi most effective.
These findings don’t mean that other CAM therapies – defined by this report as any therapy that exists outside normal health care practices – aren’t effective. The researchers stress that, in many cases, there just weren’t enough high-quality data to fully evaluate the therapies. “Where there is no or little evidence, it is very difficult to judge,” says lead author of the report, Gareth Jones, PhD, a senior lecturer in epidemiology in the School of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland.
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Gripping, lifting and carrying are essential for dozens of daily tasks, so it’s important to do them in a joint-friendly way to avoid pain and injury. Carole Dodge, an occupational therapist at University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor, offers this advice.
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Fibromyalgia is chronic arthritis-related condition with symptoms that may include widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, depression, headaches, mental fogginess, and bowel and bladder problems. A type of central sensitization or central pain syndrome,fibromyalgiais believed to result from a problem in the way the brain processes pain signals.
Although the cause of fibromyalgia is not well understood, scientists are finding that certain nutrients or food additives may worsen symptoms for some people. Similarly, consuming or eliminating particular nutrients may lessen symptom severity.
Here are three nutrients that may play a role in fibromyalgia and what researchers are learning about them.
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Health care in the United States can often feel proscriptive, narrow and impersonal, with a focus on the doctor, not the patient. Integrative medicine aims to be different, and may be a good option for yourarthritis treatment．
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关节炎让你睡不好觉吗?白天的疲劳让你情绪低落吗?Exercise can help．事实证明，即使是轻微的运动也能帮助你得到所需的休息。
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You’ve been there: You’re meeting someone new and he inevitably extends his hand with a well-meaning, “How do you do?” But if the joints in your hands are fragile and painful, your response may be a frantic, “What do I do?” If the thought of shaking hands makes you shriek, here are some polite alternatives and ways to decline:
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Research shows that aromatherapy can have a powerful impact on your well-being, including your level of pain. “Certain scents activate smell receptors in the nose, which triggers a reaction in the nervous system,” says Julie Chen, MD, an integrative medicine physician in San Jose, Calif. This, in turn, stimulates the part of your brain that controls emotion, triggering the release of hormones such as feel-good dopamine.
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每小时站起来走动两分钟就能让你活得更久。这是个好消息，因为越来越多的证据表明，久坐会缩短寿命，并进一步增加罹患几种慢性疾病的风险，这些疾病通常与关节炎有关，包括糖尿病、肾病、肥胖和心脏病。
Researchers looked at data from devices that gauge activity levels worn daily for up to a week by 3,626 people in a national health survey. They measured how much time each day participants spent in sedentary and in various low-intensity activities (such as standing) and light-intensity activities (such as walking casually) and moderate to vigorous exercise (such as brisk walking or lifting weights).
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If you haverheumatoid arthritis(RA), you have twice the risk of heart disease as healthy adults. People with other forms of inflammatory arthritis like gout and psoriatic arthritis are also at increased risk. Studies show that eating nuts – particularly walnuts – may reduce your risk.
Continue readingHealth Benefits of Walnuts