Central Pain Syndrome

I saw a video on AOL news this morning about a man with Central Pain Syndrome. He developed it after the removal of a benign brain tumor. The symptoms and treatment sounded remarkably like those for fibromyalgia.

Here is what the NIH says about it:

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/central_pain/central_pain.htm

It develops after a brain injury or something like Parkinson's or MS. I'm not suggesting that any of us have CPS as opposed to FM, but I am really interested in the similarity of the two, and the fact that the medical community is now suspecting that FM is also a central nervous system pain processing issue.

I also find it interesting that many of us have had some sort of trauma (back problems, accident, surgery, etc) before developing FM. Again, I'm not suggesting we have CPS, but I'm just fascinated by some of the similarities.

Is fibro related to CPS? Do some of the same mechanisms come into play? Why does CPS seem to be taken more seriously (at least in my opinion)? Is it because the changes in the brain are more pronounced and visible (on imaging), whereas the ones brought about by FM are less visible?

I wasn't aware that such a syndrome existed (and was named), and I found it fascinating. There may be no connection at all to FM, but who knows? Just some food for thought.

I read the link you posted and this is very similar to fibromyalgia.  I'm sure the scientists studying fibro are watching this, too.  They are thinking it's a neurological problem which fits in with the story on AOL.  I tried to watch the video but couldn't understand what he was saying due to my hearing impairment so I'm glad you posted this!

Fibro could possible be in the same family of illnesses, since they mentioned MS.  We have many of the same symptoms of MS and MS patients can also have fibro.  CPS may be taken more seriously because 1.) fibro happens mostly to women and some doctors feel we have an overabundance of hormones.  LOL  I think this is why we have been told for decades that it's all in our heads and that we really need to see a psychiatrist.  I wonder if any man dignosed with fibro was ever told that.  2.) We fibromites not only have the central pain issues with the numbness and the pins and needles but we also have IBS, irritable bladder, brain fog, etc.  This all sounds so unbelievable and it has taken years for doctors to start to listen now.  We are in the infancy of fibro being considered a true illness.  It's still called a syndrome, like CPS is,  but they are actively searching to find out why these illnesses are happening to us. 

So, I do think this is really great news!  Because I think if they find what causes CPS it could be linked to fibro, too.  This is like killing two birds with one stone. 

I was surprised when I read about CPS.  I had never heard of it before either and there is a huge similarity to fibro.  Thanks for posting about this!

Sherrine 

I was first told I had Lupus and when I kept hurting the rheumy tacked on fibro. Lupus can attack the nervous system too.