fbpx

Podcast: Research

Episode 117: Is Fibromyalgia an Autoimmune Disorder? with Dr. Ginevra

“Whenever there’s a lot of interest and dollars put into fibromyalgia research, patients only stand to benefit.” – Dr. Ginevra Liptan

During the pandemic, a potentially game-changing research article showed us that the immune system is involved in creating fibromyalgia pain. The results of this study were remarkable and began to address one of the most common questions about fibromyalgia – whether it is an autoimmune condition. It’s a huge question and an important one for us to keep asking because, at the end of the day, we need more research.

For this episode, Tami interviews Dr. Ginevra Liptan, fibromyalgia specialist and author of The Fibro Manual and The Fibro Food Formula. Tami and Dr. Ginevra discuss the game-changing mouse antibody study that showed the involvement of the immune system in fibromyalgia pain and the potential autoimmune component, how the study could potentially change the treatment approach for fibromyalgia, why Dr. Ginevra is hopeful for significant progress within a decade, fibromyalgia as an orphan disease that no speciality wants to claim, the relationship between antibodies and fibromyalgia symptoms, Dr. Ginevra’s hypothesis on how and why central sensitization is triggered in fibromyalgia, the complexity of the immune system and the challenges in understanding it, the misconception that inflammation is not involved in fibromyalgia, potential benefits of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for fibromyalgia and other conditions, the upcoming Stanza app which uses behavioral therapy techniques to calm the fight or flight response, Tonix pharmaceuticals’ phase three trial for a new fibromyalgia medication, exploring the possibility of transmitting fibromyalgia symptoms through blood donation, the search for effective fibromyalgia treatments, how to navigate the overwhelming and confusing nature new fibromyalgia research, the role of intuition and personal research in choosing treatment, recognizing that there is no magic bullet solution, why we advocate for combining different approaches for better results, and more.

Read More

Episode 105: Talk To Your Doctor Effectively with Dr. Andrea Chadwick

Having good conversations with doctors can be difficult for many fibromyalgia patients. Whether it’s dealing with fibro fog or the fear of being labeled as a drug seeker, we often leave these interactions without feeling understood or confident in the action plan.

So how do we have better conversations with our doctors? Finding the right practitioner and arming yourself with tools to support you during your appointment.

Today Tami is joined by Dr. Andrea Chadwick to talk about current fibromyalgia research, the hallmarks of a good doctor, and simple strategies to get the most out of your doctor visits. In this episode, Tami and Dr. Chadwick discuss why she chose to work with chronic pain, the mission behind Dr. Chadwick’s Fibromyalgia and Centralized Pain Exploration Lab, the overlap between fibro and other chronic pain conditions, why it’s essential to tell our stories, research into how and why heat therapy helps with pain, advocacy for fibromyalgia research, the value of recording your pain journey and details of interventions you’ve tried, the types of conversations Dr. Chadwick has with new patients, figuring out your goals for your therapeutic relationship, how you can create space for grace, finding the version of you that works best in your fibromyalgia body, getting comfortable with moving on from a doctor who isn’t a good fit, how Dr. Chadwick became involved wth Swing Care and what you can expect from their virtual clinic, the advantages of telehealth, how you can register your interest in Swing Care expanding to serve your area, Dr. Chadwick’s message for people struggling to find good doctors, bonus resources you can use to make doctor visits easier, and more.

Dr. Chadwick wants you to know that there’s hope out there, and you can advocate for yourself to get better care. Getting better with fibromyalgia is a journey and a process. Trust the process, and more importantly, trust yourself.

Read More

Episode 21: Cutting Edge Research on Fibromyalgia with Dr. Jarred Younger

An objective test for fibromyalgia will change everything. As a researcher, Dr. Jarred Younger’s mission to figure out fibromyalgia has led him to study neuroinflammation as a primary suspect. “What I think is happening in fibro is an overly robust immune response, an abnormal reaction to low level, daily insults to the immune system.” Having seen so much suffering with no effective treatment options, Dr. Younger has become driven to solve the mystery of fibromyalgia by scientifically uncovering the root cause.

Read More