Re: Abused women at risk for Fibro

October 23, 2001

I read a report about this a while ago and decided to check with other people I

know who have fibro.

One of my sisters, one niece, one nephew and myself have fibro. None of us were

sexually abused as

kids. We also discussed this in our local fibro group. Of the twelve of us at

the meeting, only one

had experienced genuine sexual abuse as a kid. I'm quite certain everyone was

being honest.

Lyndi

Grammie wrote:

> I received this last November from a news group I was on. I

> thought you gals would like to read it. This is possible my case

> of how my fibro came about.

>

> *********************************

>

> Monday November 6 12:09 PM ET

> Abused Women at Risk for Fibromyalgia

> By Amy Norton

>

> SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters Health) - Women who were sexually abused as

> children may face a heightened risk for fibromyalgia, a chronic pain syndrome

> that typically has no obvious explanation.

>

> Although researchers say sexual abuse does not cause fibromyalgia, it

> may contribute to the onset of the syndrome, which is marked by chronic

> pain at ``tender points'' in the neck, shoulders, spine and other body areas.

> In a study of 26 women who had been sexually abused as children,

> researchers found these women were more likely to report chronic pain compared

with 54 women with no

> history of abuse.

>

> Sixty-one percent of abused women said they had suffered pain for 3

> months or more, while 43% of non-abused women did. And for abused women, the

pain was more

> widespread. Overall, eight women in the study had been diagnosed with

fibromyalgia, six of whom had

> been sexually abused as children.

>

> Dr. Hillel M. Finestone, of London Health Sciences Centre in London,

> Ontario, reported the findings here Saturday at the annual meeting of the

> American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

>

> Finestone told Reuters Health he decided to investigate whether there

> was a relationship between past sexual abuse and fibromyalgia because he

> noticed a possible connection among his patients. Although women who were

abused may have emotional

> scars, Finestone said he has no doubt the women in his study were feeling

``real, physical muscle

> pain.''

>

> Exactly why sexual abuse may leave women more vulnerable to

> fibromyalgia is unclear. It is possible, according to Finestone, that stress

had made these women

> both more susceptible to muscle injury and pain and less capable of coping

with it.

>

> The bottom line, he said, is that when a patient has unexplained

> chronic pain, her doctor should ask whether she was ever sexually abused. ``We

> should ask about it just like we ask about a history of heart disease or

> diabetes,'' Finestone said, although he acknowledged it is a tough topic to

> broach.

>

> However, he noted, women who were abused may have never realized that

> what happened to them as children might still be affecting their health.

> Getting psychological help, Finestone said, may help ease their physical

> problems.

>

> ****************************

>

> Soft Hugs

> Aria

> Roanoke, Indiana

October 23, 2001

I read a report about this a while ago and decided to check with other people I

know who have fibro.

One of my sisters, one niece, one nephew and myself have fibro. None of us were

sexually abused as

kids. We also discussed this in our local fibro group. Of the twelve of us at

the meeting, only one

had experienced genuine sexual abuse as a kid. I'm quite certain everyone was

being honest.

Lyndi

Grammie wrote:

> I received this last November from a news group I was on. I

> thought you gals would like to read it. This is possible my case

> of how my fibro came about.

>

> *********************************

>

> Monday November 6 12:09 PM ET

> Abused Women at Risk for Fibromyalgia

> By Amy Norton

>

> SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters Health) - Women who were sexually abused as

> children may face a heightened risk for fibromyalgia, a chronic pain syndrome

> that typically has no obvious explanation.

>

> Although researchers say sexual abuse does not cause fibromyalgia, it

> may contribute to the onset of the syndrome, which is marked by chronic

> pain at ``tender points'' in the neck, shoulders, spine and other body areas.

> In a study of 26 women who had been sexually abused as children,

> researchers found these women were more likely to report chronic pain compared

with 54 women with no

> history of abuse.

>

> Sixty-one percent of abused women said they had suffered pain for 3

> months or more, while 43% of non-abused women did. And for abused women, the

pain was more

> widespread. Overall, eight women in the study had been diagnosed with

fibromyalgia, six of whom had

> been sexually abused as children.

>

> Dr. Hillel M. Finestone, of London Health Sciences Centre in London,

> Ontario, reported the findings here Saturday at the annual meeting of the

> American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

>

> Finestone told Reuters Health he decided to investigate whether there

> was a relationship between past sexual abuse and fibromyalgia because he

> noticed a possible connection among his patients. Although women who were

abused may have emotional

> scars, Finestone said he has no doubt the women in his study were feeling

``real, physical muscle

> pain.''

>

> Exactly why sexual abuse may leave women more vulnerable to

> fibromyalgia is unclear. It is possible, according to Finestone, that stress

had made these women

> both more susceptible to muscle injury and pain and less capable of coping

with it.

>

> The bottom line, he said, is that when a patient has unexplained

> chronic pain, her doctor should ask whether she was ever sexually abused. ``We

> should ask about it just like we ask about a history of heart disease or

> diabetes,'' Finestone said, although he acknowledged it is a tough topic to

> broach.

>

> However, he noted, women who were abused may have never realized that

> what happened to them as children might still be affecting their health.

> Getting psychological help, Finestone said, may help ease their physical

> problems.

>

> ****************************

>

> Soft Hugs

> Aria

> Roanoke, Indiana

October 23, 2001

I read a report about this a while ago and decided to check with other people I

know who have fibro.

One of my sisters, one niece, one nephew and myself have fibro. None of us were

sexually abused as

kids. We also discussed this in our local fibro group. Of the twelve of us at

the meeting, only one

had experienced genuine sexual abuse as a kid. I'm quite certain everyone was

being honest.

Lyndi

Grammie wrote:

> I received this last November from a news group I was on. I

> thought you gals would like to read it. This is possible my case

> of how my fibro came about.

>

> *********************************

>

> Monday November 6 12:09 PM ET

> Abused Women at Risk for Fibromyalgia

> By Amy Norton

>

> SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters Health) - Women who were sexually abused as

> children may face a heightened risk for fibromyalgia, a chronic pain syndrome

> that typically has no obvious explanation.

>

> Although researchers say sexual abuse does not cause fibromyalgia, it

> may contribute to the onset of the syndrome, which is marked by chronic

> pain at ``tender points'' in the neck, shoulders, spine and other body areas.

> In a study of 26 women who had been sexually abused as children,

> researchers found these women were more likely to report chronic pain compared

with 54 women with no

> history of abuse.

>

> Sixty-one percent of abused women said they had suffered pain for 3

> months or more, while 43% of non-abused women did. And for abused women, the

pain was more

> widespread. Overall, eight women in the study had been diagnosed with

fibromyalgia, six of whom had

> been sexually abused as children.

>

> Dr. Hillel M. Finestone, of London Health Sciences Centre in London,

> Ontario, reported the findings here Saturday at the annual meeting of the

> American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

>

> Finestone told Reuters Health he decided to investigate whether there

> was a relationship between past sexual abuse and fibromyalgia because he

> noticed a possible connection among his patients. Although women who were

abused may have emotional

> scars, Finestone said he has no doubt the women in his study were feeling

``real, physical muscle

> pain.''

>

> Exactly why sexual abuse may leave women more vulnerable to

> fibromyalgia is unclear. It is possible, according to Finestone, that stress

had made these women

> both more susceptible to muscle injury and pain and less capable of coping

with it.

>

> The bottom line, he said, is that when a patient has unexplained

> chronic pain, her doctor should ask whether she was ever sexually abused. ``We

> should ask about it just like we ask about a history of heart disease or

> diabetes,'' Finestone said, although he acknowledged it is a tough topic to

> broach.

>

> However, he noted, women who were abused may have never realized that

> what happened to them as children might still be affecting their health.

> Getting psychological help, Finestone said, may help ease their physical

> problems.

>

> ****************************

>

> Soft Hugs

> Aria

> Roanoke, Indiana

October 23, 2001

At 05:54 PM 10/22/2001 -0500, Lyndi wrote:

>Of the twelve of us at the meeting, only one had experienced genuine

>sexual abuse as a kid. I'm quite certain everyone was being honest.

I don't mean this to sound bad, and (ironically I guess) I did experience

several types of childhood abuse. But isn't this coming dangerously close

to saying, " It's all in our heads? " I respect that abuse can leave scars,

believe me; I have the years of therapy to prove it. But over five years

ago I stoppped therapy -- " graduated, " as my therapist jokingly put it --

and I feel these are issues I have conquered and moved past. I can't

really see a link between that and my FM, which only began after I

contracted mononucleosis last year.

It isn't my intent to be argumentative, but I question this line of

research. It's entirely possible that a significant number of women have

FM later on in life, but such can be said for a great number of other

ailments as well. I don't personally feel as if my abuse history plays

much part in my current situation, if any. I acted out my abuse in MUCH

different (and more dangerous) ways, and only got past that with years of

cognitive-behavioral therapy. And what about male FM patients who

experienced childhood abuse? What about the evidently large number of

women who were not abused and yet still have contracted this syndrome?

I'm sorry -- this sounds really suspect to me -- almost to the point of

being overtly sexist. Our pain is only mysterious because no one has yet

figured out why we have it. It does not follow that because the pain is

mysterious, it must have an emotional groundwork. In our quest to

understand our syndrome, let's not conflate the unknown with the unknowable.

Respectfully,

Em

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It is the tale, not he who tells it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

October 23, 2001