Ep 168 Is Fibromyalgia an Autoimmune Disease?

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Is Fibromyalgia an Autoimmune Disorder? In-Depth Review and Analysis

In this episode, we explore whether fibromyalgia is an autoimmune disorder, discussing a comprehensive review published in August 2023 by Dr. Daniel Clauw and other experts. The episode covers the multifaceted nature of fibromyalgia, including its symptoms, diagnostic challenges, similarities to other conditions, and the roles of cognitive, emotional, and inflammatory factors. It also dives into whether the recognition of low grade inflammation in many chronic health conditions like diabetes, Alzheimer's, osteoarthritis and coronary artery disease can be extrapolated to fibromyalgia using a mouse study looking at antibodies when an animal model of fibromyalgia has never been developed. 

00:00 Introduction to Fibromyalgia and Autoimmune Disorders
00:46 Understanding Fibromyalgia: Symptoms and Prevalence
01:45 Challenges in Diagnosing Fibromyalgia
02:35 The Reality of Fibromyalgia: Scientific Evidence
02:53 The Bio-Psycho-Social-Spiritual_Environmental Model of Pain
05:31 The Role of Neuroinflammation and Gut Health
10:35 Is Fibromyalgia an Autoimmune Disease?
14:14 Fibromyalgia is not an Autoimmune disease
23:47 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Support the show

A Fibromyalgia Starter Pack, which is a great companion to the book Conquering Your Fibromyalgia, is now available. Dr. Michael Lenz practices general pediatrics and internal medicine primary care, seeing patients from infants through adults. In addition, he also will see patients with fibromyalgia and related problems and patients interested in lifestyle medicine and clinical lipidology. To learn more, go to ConquringYourFibromyalgia.com. Remember that while Dr. Lenz is a medical doctor, he is not your doctor. All of your signs and symptoms should be discussed with your own physician. He aims to weave the best of conventional medicine with lifestyle medicine to help people with chronic health conditions live their best lives possible. Dr. Lenz hopes that the podcast, book, blog, and website serve as a trusted resource and starting point on your journey of learning to live better with fibromyalgia and related illnesses.