In the News

30 May, 2024

Maryland Family Struggling With Son's Long COVID Battle Seeks Alternative Treatment

A US Eastern Shore teenager is battling Long COVID as his family seeks alternative treatments. An estimated 17% of people who come down with COVID-19 go on to develop Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome, otherwise known as "Long COVID." The effects can be severe and debilitating, for adults and children. In Easton, the Smith family is going through a devastating situation as their 14-year-old son, Dylan Smith, has been battling severe Long COVID for more than two years. Stacey and Mike Smith look at photos of the past and pray they could go back to a time when Dylan was happy, healthy and thriving.

30 May, 2024

New Study Maps Out Long COVID Patterns In England, Showing Who Is Most At Risk

In a recent study published in the journal EClinicalMedicine, researchers described the incidence and differences in demographic and clinical characteristics of recorded long coronavirus disease (COVID) in primary care records in England.

29 May, 2024

Wexford’s Fibro Warriors Continue Fight To Raise Awareness Of Invisible Illness – ‘Before This Group I Thought I Was Alone’

Diagnosed with a condition which many still don’t fully understand, the members of Wexford Fibro Warriors (WFW) often suffer in silence with no-one to turn to when their health deteriorates. However, as they gathered outside the buildings of Wexford County Council, lit up purple to mark Fibromyalgia Awareness Day, the group were unified, secure in the knowledge that everyone in attendance was on their side.

29 May, 2024

Lessons Learned In Implementing A Multidisciplinary Long COVID Clinic

The diagnosis and treatment of long COVID patients is challenging. Our aim is to share lessons learned using a multidisciplinary approach within the Veterans Affairs system. Our long COVID clinic is based in primary care but has imbedded rehabilitations specialists, nutrition. whole health and different specialists within internal medicine. We conduct an extensive work-up to evaluate the presence of end-organ damage, ongoing inflammation and dysautonomia. Our treatments are based on the prior experience that the VA system has on chronic fatigue syndrome and gulf war illness.

29 May, 2024

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Affects Almost 10-15% Of Middle-Aged Women: Doctors Share Management Tips

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome affects approximately 10–15% of middle-aged women, with stress and depression as common triggers, experts highlight.

28 May, 2024

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Vs. Pharmacological Intervention In Adults With Fibromyalgia Related To Childhood Sexual Abuse: Prospective, Randomized Clinical Trial

Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a chronic pain syndrome characterized by disruptions in pain processing within the central nervous system. It exhibits a high prevalence among patients with a history of traumatic experiences, notably childhood sexual abuse (CSA). This study compared the efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) to the current pharmacological standard of care for individuals suffering from CSA-related FMS. Forty-eight participants diagnosed with FMS and a history of CSA were randomly assigned to either the HBOT group (60 sessions of 100% oxygen at 2 ATA for 90 min, with air breaks every 5 min) or the medication (MED) group (FDA-approved medications, Pregabalin and Duloxetine). The primary endpoint was the Fibromyalgia impact questionnaire (FIQ) score, while secondary endpoints encompassed emotional status and daily functioning questionnaires, as well as pain thresholds and conditioned pain modulation tests. Brain activity was evaluated through single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Results revealed a significant group-by-time interaction for the FIQ score favoring HBOT over MED (p < 0.001), with a large effect size (Cohen's d = − 1.27). Similar findings were observed in emotional symptoms and functional measures. SPECT imaging demonstrated an increase in activity in pre-frontal and temporal brain areas, which correlated with symptoms improvement. In conclusion, HBOT exhibited superior benefits over medications in terms of physical, functional, and emotional improvements among FMS patients with a history of CSA. This associated with increased activity in pre-frontal and temporal brain areas, highlighting the neuroplasticity effect of HBOT.

28 May, 2024

Do Cannabinoids Have A Role In Managing Fibromyalgia?

In a survey, 80% of patients with fibromyalgia who used cannabis reported subjective improvement in pain.

28 May, 2024

Long COVID: The Enduring Pandemic

Four years ago, a novel coronavirus overwhelmed hospitals and disrupted society, leaving some survivors—most of whom did not have severe acute illness—with persistent and disabling symptoms. Many patients turned into citizen scientists, advocating for recognition amidst a fractured health system struggling to address their diverse, complex, and unexplained symptoms. Today, long COVID is the enduring pandemic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 17.6% of U.S. adults have symptoms that persist 3 months after acute COVID-19 and 6.9% continue to experience long COVID. Chou and colleagues' scoping review summarizes the published literature that aims to define long COVID and describe care models. The review incorporates insights from 18 key informants across the fields of research, clinical practice, and patient advocacy. Their findings underscore the innovative yet fragmented nature of long COVID care models and the critical need for a standardized definition to effectively identify affected patients and evaluate treatment models.

27 May, 2024

Exercise Does Not Cause Post-Exertional Malaise In Veterans With Gulf War Illness: A Randomized, Controlled, Dose–Response, Crossover Study

Chronic multisymptom illnesses (CMI) such as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, long-COVID, and Gulf War Illness (GWI) are associated with an elevated risk of post-exertional malaise (PEM), an acute exacerbation of symptoms and other related outcomes following exercise. These individuals may benefit from personalized exercise prescriptions which prioritize risk minimization, necessitating a better understanding of dose–response effects of exercise intensity on PEM.

27 May, 2024

Long Covid Course Is ‘Exploiting People’, Says Ex-GB Rower

A former Team GB rower claims a treatment she underwent for long Covid leaves participants feeling "blamed" for being ill. Oonagh Cousins was offered a free place on a course run by the Lightning Process, which teaches people they can rewire their brains to stop or improve long Covid symptoms quickly. Ms Cousins, who contracted Covid in March 2020, said it "exploits" people.