Fibromyalgia, hyperbaric chamber... and repressed memories!
Today I offer you a rather surprising article. We are going to talk about hyperbaric chambers that could potentially treat fibromyalgia thanks to neuroplasticity. But also about repressed painful memories linked to this syndrome!
Fibromyalgia remains an enigma
Fibromyalgia is a chronic disorder affecting 1.5% to 2% of the French population.
- fatigue
- cognitive disorders
- disturbed (non-restorative) sleep
- depression
- anxiety
- stiffness
- sensitivity
- functional limitations
Fibromyalgia is a potentially devastating disorder. It can cause disability, emotional distress, and significant personal, social, and economic burden. Studies have shown that it can be triggered by traumatic brain injury and certain infections, such as viral illness and Lyme disease. It can also be triggered by severe emotional stress, such as childhood sexual abuse.
This syndrome is still an enigma, which is why there is no specific treatment that can cure it.
Hyperbaric chamber to treat fibromyalgia
However, there is hope! In recent years, several rigorous studies (because they are controlled and randomized) have demonstrated the effectiveness of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in treating patients with fibromyalgia.
If you are not yet familiar with hyperbaric oxygen therapy, I invite you to consult this page . I explain very simply what it consists of.
The common hypothesis in all these studies is that the use of a hyperbaric chamber would trigger neuroplasticity in injured brains. Even years later! This famous neuroplasticity would cause beneficial and lasting changes in brain areas with abnormal activity.
Moreover, in a previous article , I told you about an Israeli team that treated 48 women with this syndrome. After less than 2 months of therapy, an improvement in pain and quality of life was observed in the patients. Some of them were even able to stop taking their daily painkillers.
This same team of scientists treated more than 200 people with fibromyalgia syndrome between 2013 and 2016. And among this cohort of patients, 9 of them suddenly recalled traumatic memories of childhood sexual abuse!
Hyperbaric chamber stimulates neuroplasticity in fibromyalgia patients
In a scientific article
The recovery of repressed memory by a physiological intervention that induces neuroplasticity was unexpected.
Doctor Shai Efrati
Emotional trauma creates dissociative amnesia, which would then have a direct impact on the brain
Dr. Efrati explains that childhood sexual abuse is an exceptionally severe form of emotional and physical trauma. It can lead to memory impairment and dissociation. Also, several studies show that childhood sexual abuse is associated with the severity of fibromyalgia syndrome.
Without external energy supply, these brain areas could remain in "hibernation" for years.
Hyperbaric chamber may trigger neuroplasticity
This is where the hyperbaric chamber comes into play. It would allow neuroplasticity to be triggered, as well as regeneration mechanisms at the cellular level . The brain areas on standby would then be reactivated... and the repressed memories would thus be found! Also, brain imaging carried out on the patients would allow this to be confirmed:
Top two rows : Colors represent peak functional brain activity relative to total brain activity. Bottom last row : Colors represent regional changes in functional brain activity. White and red areas show the greatest relative changes in cerebral blood flow/perfusion.
The image above is of a patient who recovered memories after several dives in a hyperbaric chamber. After therapy, her prefrontal cortex shows higher activity. As this brain area is involved in dissociative amnesia
Following this, the patient reported to the doctor many improvements. After the therapy, she felt much stronger, slept better, had more energy and had almost no pain. She claims to have completely recovered from his fibromyalgia syndrome.
Hyperbaric chamber, future treatment for fibromyalgia?
There is still a long way to go before hyperbaric oxygen therapy is proposed to treat fibromyalgia. But in recent years, great advances have been made thanks to very serious and well-conducted studies. Advances in brain imaging also make it possible to corroborate certain progress measured in patients.