Current pain and headache reports
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Curr Pain Headache Rep · Oct 2004
Review Historical ArticleHistory of fibromyalgia: past to present.
Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is now a recognized clinical entity causing chronic and disabling pain. For several centuries, muscle pains have been known as rheumatism and then as muscular rheumatism. The term fibrositis was coined by Gowers in 1904 and was not changed to fibromyalgia until 1976. ⋯ The important concept that FMS and other similar conditions are interconnected was proposed in 1984. The first American College of Rheumatology criteria were published in 1990 and neurohormonal mechanisms with central sensitization were developed in the 1990s. Serotonergic/norepinephric drugs were first shown to be effective in 1986.
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Curr Pain Headache Rep · Oct 2004
ReviewThe relationship of temporomandibular disorders and fibromyalgia: implications for diagnosis and treatment.
Although most cases of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are mild and self-limiting, approximately 10% of patients develop severe disorders associated with chronic pain. It has been found that the widespread pain, depression, and sleep disorders associated with fibromyalgia (FM) may play a significant role in the chronicity of patients with TMD. This paper reviews the characteristics and relationship between TMD and FM and discusses how the similar mechanisms and diagnostic and treatment strategies for both disorders suggest that there is a close relationship between them.
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Curr Pain Headache Rep · Oct 2004
ReviewChronic cluster headache: new and emerging treatment options.
Cluster headache (CH) is a primary headache syndrome characterized by short-lasting unilateral head pain attacks accompanied by ipsilateral oculofacial autonomic phenomena. Approximately 20% of CH patients have the chronic form and need continuous medical care. In the chronic form, attacks continue unabated for years, often on a daily basis, resulting in severe debilitation. ⋯ Until recently, the etiology of CH was poorly understood and this hampered the development of new therapies. However, we have now gained a much improved understanding of the peripheral and central mechanisms giving rise to the pain in CH and this has inspired the development of new treatment approaches, which, although still in the initial phases of validation, appear to be very promising. Among these, the novel approach based on hypothalamic deep brain stimulation is one of the most promising.
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There has been a dramatic increase in our understanding of fibromyalgia throughout the past 14 years since the publication of the 1990 American College of Rheumatology classification criteria. Before 1990, and for most of the 20th century, fibromyalgia was considered to be predominantly a muscle disorder; now the critical abnormality is described as "central sensitization." However, central sensitization has to have an initial genesis and nociceptive stimuli from painful foci in muscle are increasingly recognized as being relevant to the development of fibromyalgia. ⋯ However, some clues are emerging from the role of diverse stimuli in activating glial cells and the role of disordered cytokine networks. Some predictions about future developments in fibromyalgia are ventured based on the current state of knowledge.
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Curr Pain Headache Rep · Oct 2004
ReviewRole of neuroimaging in our understanding of the pathogenesis of primary headaches.
This article reviews new advances in neuroimaging of primary headaches. Imaging of the brain is reaching a new stage of maturity as the basic neural systems that participate in the pathogenesis of headaches are identified. Given the rapid advances in functional neuroimaging, it is no surprise that recent studies have supported the neurovascular theory of migraine and cluster headache. It is clear that functional neuroimaging will continue to be of paramount importance and ultimately may serve as the bridge between molecular and clinical domains in the field of headache research.