Based on my 20+ years studying patients with Fibromyalgia (see my several threadreaders), I believe those with Hypermobility Syndrome (genetic) are predisposed to ME/CFS & LONG-COVID (I call “wasting diseases”). Treatment is prophylaxis:
PROPHYLAXIS for Hypermobility Syndrome avoidance of “wasting diseases”: avoid obesity, multiparty, & back injuries; keep soft tissues toned; maintain nutrient dense diet; sunlight; Vit C & D, Mg, Se, Zn.
Fibromyalgia is a multi-factorial disorder with a variety of causes: femaleness, Hypermobility Syndrome, pelvic girdle injury, sedentary & reclusive lifestyles, low Vitamin D, non-restorative sleep, & severe incapacitating illnesses.
A unifying factor is instability of pelvic girdle joints that lead to a slightly tilted upper body tower & wherein multiple muscles that support the upright body tower incur asymmetric mechanical stress that differs from one side of the body to the other.
Hypermobility is a tissue variation found in about 15% of women. The connective tissue laxity impacts flexibility to body parts and especially to the pelvis, thereby providing for easier childbirth.
A common concomitant of greater ligament flexibility is a functional scoliosis. The vertebral disks are ligaments that connect the vertebral bones. The spines of hyper-mobile women are often scoliotic when these women are upright, but straight when reclined. The reason is ….
DEFINITIONS:
Thoracic Outlet: anatomic space in proximal subclavicle region; traversed by a neurovascular bundle & brachial neural plexus.
Superior trapezium is plural
Superior trapezius is singular
VITAMIN D HOW MUCH? Recent studies in men who work year around without shirts in Hawaii produce 6,000 units of Vitamin D per day; likely a dose selected by Darwinian evolution and likely non-toxic. Maybe even optimum.
My undergraduate biological sciences professor (1963) discounted need for supplemental Vitamin D & firmly proclaimed walking “15 minutes” outdoors “between classes” was sufficient daily sun exposure; a pompous proclamation in retrospect.
VITAMIN D & COVID-19: Epidemiological evidence has demonstrated ability of Vitamin D to inure human organisms to full onslaught of COVID-19. Anyone who is not maximizing Vitamin D might be missing an opportunity.
ALTERNATE EXPLANATION OF CFS/ME/LONG-COVID: Best studies of physiologic commonalities of these disorders have measured metabolism, genetics, hormones, cytokines, mitochondrial respiration, & etc. The only common phenomenon that correlates with occurrence of these disorder is ....
The common thread of CFS/ME/LONG-COVID is the measured intensity of the initial insult; as in days of bedridden status & severe locomotor inactivity. What does this measurement reflect?
Astronauts returning from weightlessness are unable to support their upright musculoskeletal towers. Studies have shown that 2 weeks of strict bedrest result in profound loss of muscle mass and strength.
CFS MYSTERY FURTHER UNSOLVED: CFS is function of “severity” of acute infection, but not of psychologic or measurable physiologic parameters, and for a variety of viral disorders. Huh! How can this be? Impossible! Why?
Well, let’s look at what import “severity of illness” has for a host that evolves chronic fatigue. In the study, chronic musculoskeletal pain was common amongst CFS suffers, but the pain generators were not studied. Soft tissues are the most likely explanation.
Persons beset with musculoskeletal pain commonly seek a sedentary status in order to avoid arousing musculoskeletal pain transducers.