New Thinking on Whether Adult Pain Stems from Childhood Trauma
Do you think you're sick today because of trauma you suffered during childhood? Or does the very idea of that get your blood boiling because it ties fibromyalgia (FMS) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS or ME/CFS) to psychological causes?
According to an address a the American Pain Society's annual meeting, it depends on the type of trauma.
Gary Macfarlane, MD, who's a professor at Scotland's University of Aberdeen School of Medicine, says a 50-year study of 17,000 children showed that adverse childhood events, such as abuse, are no more common in adults with pain as in those without it. He says, however, that some pain patients appear more likely to remember such events.
When children have frequent pain, though, they are three times more likely to have chronic pain as adults, he says. Also, the study shows babies who were in intensive care and went through invasive procedures were more sensitive to pain later in life - demonstrating that early pain may influence how your body interprets pain.
What do you think of this study? Is it discounting a possible cause of FMS or ME/CFS? Or is it validating the fact that these are physiological conditions and not psychological ones? Tell us how you feel by leaving comments here or in About.com's Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome forum.
Suggested Reading
- Who's at Risk for Fibromyalgia?
- Who's at Risk for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?
- Why are Women More Prone to FMS & ME/CFS?
Comments
Well, i’m glad to see that those suffering childhood trauma are no more likely to have chronic pain than those who did not.
It’s interesting about the infants who experienced pain. It still leads me to believe that our illness is physical; not psychological. Maybe it’s genetics…I’m not the best at scientific info., but it’s right up there with “What causes cancer?” What happens that incites it and sets it all off? My theory is…long periods of high stress. By long I mean years of traumatic events (i.e. divorce, death, illnesses, finances…etc.) one after another, in which the individual experiencing this has no chance to recover, before another crisis hits. It is bound to take it’s toll on the body. Running on ‘emergency alert’ 24/7…our bodies are not meant to work like that. Then there are those who have suffered a physical trauma (i.e. surgery, head injury…etc.) I guess when we find out what triggers it, we will find a way to cure it.
When I was about 3 years old I ate Castor Beans. I was very close to death. Although I was so young, I can remember needles in the top of my feet.Mom said they were IV’s.( I have never been able to stand anything rubbing or hurting the tops of my feet.)
Castor Beans are poison and who knows what that did to my body.
I do lean towards the “stress” idea as a “trigger”. Stress is an awful thing, and it does horrible things to people. Personally, stress will trigger a Flair in me.
I am glad that they are exploring all regions of possibility. Each day I try to study and look for any possible reason for my condition.
I was a miserable baby, a sickly child, my young adult life was full of strange illnesses, I went through several surgeries, and now at close to 40 I am diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. I just figured my body was defective or my mother didn’t properly care for herself while pregnant with me. One of my siblings might also have Fibro, she got a “maybe” diagnosis and some flexeril from her doctor.
My mother-in-law lived to be 91.. she was the most anxious, stressed, and full of worry
person I ever met. She had no illnesses but “a bit” of arthritis in one hand and one knee, was active til the end.
She endured terrible tragedies in her life.
Why didn’t she have the usual diseases “they” say we will have if we are stressed? Maybe it
was that she always ate food she cooked herself from scratch and didn’t eat either
in restaurants til she was in her 80’s.
I hope our kids and grands inherit lots of her genes.