Autoimmune/Complex

What if your brain is the reason some pain feels unbearable? Scientists at the Salk Institute have discovered a hidden brain circuit that gives pain its emotional punch—essentially transforming ordinary discomfort into lasting misery. This breakthrough sheds light on why some people suffer more intensely than others from conditions like fibromyalgia, migraines, and PTSD. By identifying the exact group of neurons that link physical pain to emotional suffering, the researchers may have found a new target for treating chronic pain—without relying on addictive medications.

The investigational Lyme disease vaccine VLA15 shows favorable safety profile and strong immunogenicity across all age groups, with particularly robust responses in children and adolescents.

Two groundbreaking studies from Northwestern researchers may transform how we treat and understand Lyme disease

2,510 likes, 140 comments - unbiasedscipod on August 14, 2023: "Lyme disease (LD): while a public health concern, rampant misinformation fueled by vocal advocacy organizations has led the public to perceive it as a bigger threat than it is. One of the most pervasive: chronic Lyme disease. LD is a bacterial infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi (rarely Borrelia mayonii in the US; Borrelia garinii & Borreli afzelii in Europe). In the US, 2 species of ticks can transmit these bacteria: Black-legged & western Black-legged ticks. It is not spread by other ticks, other arthropods, or by other means. Most infections remain localized, cause mild illness, and present with the ‘bulls-eye rash’, erythema migrans. Other symptoms are generic: fever, fatigue, headache, muscle/joint pain, and lymphadenopathy. In ~10-20% of infections (depending on bacterial strain), bacteria can spread elsewhere in the body like large joints and nerves and cause disseminated LD symptoms, which can be painful and debilitating. The good news? The bacteria can be killed with antibiotics. Even without antibiotic treatment, most infections would be eliminated by your immune system. In a small proportion of individuals who TRULY were infected, certain symptoms - fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, insomnia - may last after antibiotic treatment. These are post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS) symptoms, or sequelae, and are a result of the immune response – inflammation created to eliminate bacteria. PTLDS typically resolves over a period of months, like other post-infection sequelae. This is NOT chronic infection. Bacteria are not hiding, persisting, or establishing dormancy or biofilms. Infection does not reactivate over the years. There is NO benefit to taking longer-term antibiotics. Bacteria are eliminated. Chronic Lyme disease is not a medically supported condition, no matter how loud advocacy organizations shout. Unfortunately, chronic Lyme has become a scapegoat for an array of non-specific symptoms even without evidence someone had Lyme to begin with. This prevents people from addressing real causes of their symptoms and undergoing harmful and expensive ‘treatments’, as well as propagating fallacies and undue fear about Lyme to the public.".

11K likes, 527 comments - unbiasedscipod on August 9, 2023: "“Chronic Lyme” is a scapegoat in the ‘alternative health’ & ‘wellness’ industries. Many nonspecific symptoms are falsely attributed to a bacterial infection readily treated with antibiotics. This trend has increased due to celebrity & media attention. We have discussed Lyme pseudoscience extensively, but with recent headlines about Bella Hadid, we must revisit. Bella shared this 2016 ‘lab report’ filled with Lyme misinformation. Here are the most glaring. 1️⃣Urine samples cannot be used to diagnose ANY of these, Lyme or otherwise. Credible expert organizations including Infectious Diseases Society of America are explicit about this. 2️⃣FDA-authorized Lyme tests assess immune responses (antibodies) to Borrelia burgdorferi in blood. There are NO credible Lyme tests that use PCR (what this test claims to use). 3️⃣The test falsely claims the first 4 ‘microbes’ listed are different species of Lyme bacteria. 4️⃣This test “detects” SEVERAL impossible co-infections alongside Lyme: Bartonella bacilliformis only occurs in the Andes Mtns (South America) between 3,000 and 10,000 ft. of elevation. It is transmitted by sand flies, NOT ticks. Bartonella henselae is also NOT spread by ticks, but by fleas (or animal scratch contaminated with infected flea feces). Ehrlichia chaffeensis is transmitted by ticks, but NOT the species that transmits Lyme bacteria. The likelihood Bella was bitten by 4 different arthropods all infected with these bacteria (incl. one only in S. American mountains) is near zero. It is also implausible she has been infected for over 7 years. Self-appointed “Lyme specialists” have gotten rich by selling fake tests to diagnose illnesses that there is zero evidence (clinical or epidemiological) to support. They then prescribe unproven, harmful, long-term, and expensive treatments. Is Bella feeling ill? Possibly! But it is very likely the array of “treatments” for infections she doesn’t have are the cause of that. Unfortunately, celebrities who buy into the myths about Lyme fall prey and legitimize it with their large public platforms. Scientists, credible clinicians, and media outlets all need to help dispel this type of harmful nonsense.".

Original Editor - Kapil Narale

Self‐reported physical activity was lower among those with long COVID.

Support Open Medicine Foundation Canada: https://www.omfcanada.ngo/Thanks for watching! Remember to subscribe for daily uploads of news compilations, clips, ...

LIVE Mind-Body Tools to Thrive With Addiction or Chronic Illness 🤖 Use https://DocSnipes.com/Clones to get answers to mental health questions and inline ci...

Anarchist news from 600+ collectives 🏴 Anarchist Federation

2.8K votes, 32 comments. 34M subscribers in the science community. This community is a place to share and discuss new scientific research. Read about…

Yes, you can get inflammation in your brain.

This Psychiatry Simplified playlist, presented by Dr. Sanil Rege, the creator of the accredited Academy curriculum, including the comprehensive 10-hour cours...

The benefits of acupuncture for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) or myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) : evidence review and analysis

spanbObjectives:/b This meta-analysis aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) in treating chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). bMethods:/b Nine electronic databases were searched from inception to May 2022. Two reviewers screened studies, extracted the data, and/span …

I’ve had a very strange relationship with inflammation over the years. The first curveball was when the same symptoms associated with…

Envita is a world-class late-stage cancer treatment center that specializes in treating the most difficult and complex cases.

Everyday tiredness is nothing like the depleting symptom that people with long COVID and ME/CFS experience.

What is NHS care like for people with severe ME, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome?

That chronic Lyme exists in the realm of experience doesn’t mean it isn’t real. When medicine does not acknowledge the reality of the subjective—the thick reality of lived experience—we fall laughably short in our efforts to serve patients. When it comes to tick-borne Lyme disease itself, we all need to expand our horizons. That suffering is real. It must be attended to. But to insist beyond all plausibility that one’s suffering is related to a tick bite is not feminist; it’s absurd. And to prey on suffering people who crave that certainty, offering them expensive, intensive, and dangerous treatments is worse than absurd; it’s cruel.

Post-viral illnesses are more common than you think—but they got little attention prior to the pandemic

Vitally important for treatment.

When there’s only so much care to go around, the medical system leans too hard on test results — and prejudice

Both long-haul COVID and chronic fatigue syndrome are linked to viral infections in ways that are still unclear.

After seven years of research, the findings shed light on the long-neglected illness. Scientists say the results could lead to future trials for potential treatments.

Only a couple dozen doctors specialize in chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). Now their knowledge could be crucial to treating millions more patients.