Brain to blame for mystery back pain

Some back pain has no physical cause

BBC
Monday, October 28, 2002

Some people may suffer from mysterious back pain because
their brains are ultra-sensitive and wired up in a
different way, say researchers.

They have found that some people with lower back problems
that appear to have no obvious physical cause seem to
register pain much more easily than most people.

A gentle squeeze so soft that it was not registered by
healthy people was enough to trigger pain signals in
their brains.

A similar effect was also seen in patients with
fibromyalgia, who suffer pain in the muscles, ligaments
and tendons.

But healthy people had to be squeezed a lot more sharply
to feel the same level of pain - and it registered in
different areas of the brain.

The researchers, from the University of Michigan, say
they do not know why this effect happens, but hope their
work will help explain lower back pain.

Pressure

They studied 15 patients who had lower back pain, which
had no "mechanical" cause, such as a ruptured disk or
pulled muscle, 15 patients with fibromyalgia and 15
healthy people.

"Even if you see there's an increase in brain
activity, lots of things could contribute."
- Dr Jan van der Merwe, St Thomas's Hospital

Brain scans were carried out on all the patients while
rapidly pulsing pressure was applied to the base of their
left thumbnail.

It only needed a mild pressure - which had little impact
on the healthy patients - to produce feelings of pain in
the lower-back pain and fibromyalgia patients

The scans showed that while all the patients showed
increased activity in some areas of the brain, the
pattern of stimulation differed between the three groups.

Processing pain

The researchers say this suggests lower-back pain
patients have an enhanced response to pain in some brain
regions, and a diminished response in others.

They say their work helps provide a "road map" of which
parts of the brain are most and least active when
patients feel pain.

Dr Daniel Clauw, who led the study, said: "These results,
combined with other work done by our group and others,
have convinced us that some pathologic process is making
these patients more sensitive.

"For some reason, still unknown, there is a
neurobiological amplification of their pain signals."

But Dr Jan van der Merwe, head of the Input Pain
Management unit at St Thomas's Hospital, London, told BBC
News Online it was difficult to take conclusive findings
from looking at brain activity because so many things
were happening at the same time.

"Even if you see there's an increase in brain activity,
lots of things could contribute to the different signals.

"There could be some activity because they are
experiencing pain or because they are thinking about
something else."

The research was presented to the American College of
Rheumatology conference in New Orleans.

End of forwarded message from the BBC

Posted for discussion, and in the public interest by:

Jai Maharaj
http://www.mantra.com/jai
Om Shanti

Panchaang for 28 Jyeshtth 5104, Friday, June 27, 2003:

Shubhanu Nama Samvatsare Dakshinaya Nartana Ritau
Mithun Mase Krishna Pakshe Shukr Vasara Yuktayam
Rohini-Mrgashir Nakshatr Shool-Ganda Yog
Vishti Karan Chaturdashi Yam Tithau

Hindu Holocaust Museum
http://www.mantra.com/holocaust

Hindu life, principles, spirituality and philosophy
http://www.hindu.org
http://www.hindunet.org

The truth about Islam and Muslims
http://www.flex.com/~jai/satyamevajayate

o Not for commercial use. Solely to be fairly used for the
educational purposes of research and open discussion. The contents of
this post may not have been authored by, and do not necessarily represent
the opinion of the poster. The contents are protected by copyright law
and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
o If you send private e-mail to me, it will likely not be read,
considered or answered if it does not contain your full legal name,
current e-mail and postal addresses, and live-voice telephone number.
o Posted for information and discussion. Views expressed by others
are not necessarily those of the poster.

"Dr. Jai Maharaj" wrote:
So what's the brain, if it's not physical?

--
Dan Clore

Now available: _The Unspeakable and Others_
http://www.wildsidepress.com/index2.htm
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...edanclorenecro
Lord Weÿrdgliffe & Necronomicon Page:
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/9879/
News for Anarchists & Activists:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/smygo

"It's a political statement -- or, rather, an
*anti*-political statement. The symbol for *anarchy*!"
-- Batman, explaining the circle-A graffiti, in
_Detective Comics_ #608

In article <3EFDC5A8.B550C13B@columbia-center.org>,
Dan Clore <clore@columbia-center.org> posted:

Ask the author who wrote that.

Jai Maharaj
http://www.mantra.com/jai
Om Shanti

OK, so the brain has something to do with pain felt.. Pain that is
amplified in Fibromyalgia patients.

I have chronic back pain, I cannot stand for more than 10 minutes,
then I am brought to my knees in agonizing pain. If I sit for
extended periods of time, my neck becomes painful also. If I try and
walk, try to exercise, my back pain is increased. Looking into a
wheelchair now. At least I won't be in pain, and I can then become
more "productive"

You can post and post articles about researches done on pain, on
Fibromyalgia, but what I would like to see is some cures. What can be
done. Not what "might be the cause" How about some relief from the
pain? How about real answers for real people?

Oh, I know, research is still being done.

Oh, I know, you are just out to get more money out of peoples pockets
that are broke, and have no income, or on a limited income, due to
chronic pain. What a man you are, huh?

In article <ca32aa44.0306300139.6d8db92@posting.google.com> ,
[ adsl-64-108-97-181.dsl.wotnoh.ameritech.net
Sunshyne1027@aol.com (Sunshyne) posted:
In what ways do you intend to become productive?

Have you consulted a duly trained and licensed health care
professional for your condition? Feel free to write about this,
if you wish.

Of course.

People who are broke would have no money to pay, so why
the contradictory statement above? I am not selling anything
to people in pain, so why the false accusation? Perhaps you
intended to accuse your doctors, pharmacists and drug companies
because you are suffering from pain. This is understandable.

Jai Maharaj
http://www.mantra.com/jai
Om Shanti

Working and making a living to support my family. I have gone back to
school to retrain to be able to work in a job that is better suited
for me, with my disabilities. Looking for work right now. Going
through vocational rehab.
Yes, I have several doctors I go to. Trained docs for Fibromyalgia?
Not many out there. I go to low income docs, don't have health
insurance. I get more caring and understanding from low-income docs,
the docs that give time freely to people in need, than docs who get
paid the high dollars.



By what I have read, you are a spammer. A troll.
How can you understand? What is it that you have that you believe you
can bring into discussions here? I am not accusing doctors,
pharmacists and drug companies of anything. What are your intentions
here is what I would like to know?

In article <ca32aa44.0306302237.3a7a4618@posting.google.com>,
Sunshyne1027@aol.com (Sunshyne) posted:

Do you know what spam means? It is UCE (Unsolicited
Commercial E-mail) in which something is offered for
sale. These are newsgroups. Newsgroups contain
posts, not e-mail. And "troll"? That is a term
disruptors and Net Nazis apply to those whose
opinions they don't like. Finally, do you believe
stuff written by anonymous posters, and that which is
poted without any supporting evidence?

The same as yours -- share information. Read the
information contained in what I post. Check it out.

Jai Maharaj
http://www.mantra.com/jai
Om Shanti

Johnny Judas Jay "Spam-master" Maharaj wrote:


There is such a thing as Usenet spamming(as if you didn't already know!):
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/usenet/spam-faq/

And you, Johnny boya, are probably the most notorious usenet spammer. A
perfect example of your spamming was when you reposted, within the span
of a few minutes, one of your scummy posts simply because someone asked
you to refrain from such spamming. I could just picture you thinking to
yourself as you vindictively reposted: "Tell me not to spam, will he?
I'll teach that #*&@~% to tell me not to spam!" You should be sentenced
to 108 consecutive life sentences in servitude to the orphaned Muslims
of 1992 and their descendants.

Got mangoes, boya?

dumbdumb jai wrote:



And you're the biggest freakin' Nazi this group has ever had.
You perfectly described yourself beautifully.


.... jai is as dumb as a box of rocks.