Foot Care Specialist, Podiatrist reviews new info about fibromyalgia

Office of Dr. Burton S. Schuler foot specialist, podiatrist, foot doctor, Panama City Fl

 This is an article about  Fibromyalgia  written by  Dr. Burton S. Schuler,  foot care specialist , podiatrist , foot doctor of Panama City Florida reviewing new published information about fibromyalgia 

Just last year the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) proposed new, easier to apply diagnostic criteria for FMS that take into account common symptoms such as fatigue, sleep disturbances, and cognitive problems, as well as pain” (http://updates.pain-topics.org/2011/04/overcoming-barriers-to-managing.html).  Since diagnostic criteria are constantly in flux, patients, who continue to experience pain, are left to their own devices in many circumstances.  Thus, they may be more likely to turn to medical remedies that are “off the beaten path,” according to the article. 

 In a recent article, “Overcoming Barriers to Managing Fibromyalgia” the author summarizes some of the challenges that newly diagnosed people experience (http://updates.pain-topics.org/2011/04/overcoming-barriers-to-managing.html).  As it turns out, one of the biggest let downs for patients seeking relief from Fibromyalgia, a condition that has them experiencing chronic pain throughout their bodies, is that modern medicine does not provide them with quick relief.  The condition is definitely a medical conundrum, leaving some health practitioners to see it more as a mental or behavioral issue that a physical issue as such.  

One unconventional medical issue to consider if you have Fibromyalgia is whether or not you have a short first metatarsal bone: also known as “Morton’s Toe.”  According to Panama City, Florida podiatrist, Dr. Burton S. Schuler http://www.footcare4u.com/category/about-dr-schuler/  , who has treated patient for decades in his Northern Florida podiatry practice, there is a possible link between Morton’s Toe and Fibromyalgia  since improper foot alignment can be a major medical issue—leading to many long term health problems.  While the cause of Fibromyalgia is not known—and some medical experts believe the diagnosis is simply a cluster of symptoms—Schuler has successfully treated Fibromyalgia sufferers with a short metatarsal bone with a simple toe pad under the big toe .  But he warns the pad is not a miracle pain cure and should be used cautiously and with medical oversight.

 The toe pad works to correct the foot’s overpronation, as it makes contact with the ground  According to Schuler, pronation is one of the most important terms related to how the foot operates: “Pronation allows the shock of our body weight to be absorbed when the foot meets the ground. Pronation also makes it possible for the foot to adapt to all of the different surfaces we walk on.”

 Consideration that overpronation of your feet, caused by a short first metatarsal bone, can be linked to muscle pain elsewhere in your body may be good news for those who suffer from the stigma related to fibromyalgia diagnosis. 

Podiatrist asks is Fibromyalgia a Disease or Clinical Term

Here is an article that I wrote several months ago and ran  around the country and over seas./

Fibromyalgia, which  “is characterized by poor sleep, fatigue, and widespread aching and stiffness in soft tissues, including muscles, tendons, and ligaments” is a controversial condition (http://www.merckmanuals.com/home/sec05/ch074/ch074c.html). Perhaps the best indication of its controversial status is the fact that Dr. Frederick Wolfe, the physician who initially helped coin the term “fibromyalgia” in 1990, retracted his initial belief that it is a disease. Instead, he acknowledges that it is only a clinical term and not a disease as such (http://acupuncturetoday.com/mpacms/at/article.php?id=27576). The drug company Pfizer, which has created Lyrica specifically to treat Fibromyalgia, strongly believes it is a disease and they made 1.8 billion from the drug is 2007. Since then, Cymbalta and Sevella are also available as drugs designed to combat the specific symptoms of Fibromyalgia. Regardless of the real medical status of the cluster of symptoms characterizing the disease, millions of Americans identify as fibromyalgia sufferers and seek treatment.

While drugs may be effective for many, one north Florida (Panama City) podiatrist, Dr. Burton S. Schuler, suggests that the treatment for the chronic pain that characterizes the condition may be found in a simple toe pad placed under the first metatarsal bone of your foot (http://whyyoureallyhurt.com/home/#tp). Why a toe pad, when the pain that many fibromyalgia sufferers report is not isolated in the feet or legs? In Why You Really Hurt: It All Starts in the Foot, Schuler argues that a short first metatarsal bone (longer second toe also known as “Morton’s Toe after Dr. Dudley J. Morton), throws the foot’s natural balance off; this can result in shooting pain in your legs, knees and throughout the body. The toe pad can potentially help restore the foot’s natural balance and function as a shock absorber. Schuler denotes Dr Janet Travell also had a great deal to do with myofascial pain and fibro.  In 36 years of practicing podiatry, Dr. Schuler has treated many patients who have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia and also have a short first metatarsal bone (http://whyyoureallyhurt.com/mortons-toe/fibromyalgia/). He claims that the toe pad may not work for everyone but it is definitely worth considering if you suffer from the symptoms associated with Fibromyalgia—whether it is a disease, as some would have it, or a clinical term.

Panama City Podiatrist writes of Causes of Fibromyalgia

There are many different theories about what causes the widespread condition known as “Fibromyalgia”—from your toe length to psychological stress in the workplace. According to the Mayo Clinic, “Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition characterized by widespread pain in your muscles, ligaments and tendons, as well as fatigue and multiple tender points — places on your body where slight pressure causes pain” ). Two percent of Americans suffer from the condition, and women are much more likely to develop the disorder than men. Fibromyalgia symptoms often begin after a physical or emotional trauma, but in many cases there appears to be no specific triggering event.

Physical constitution as a cause of fibromyalgia is one theory advanced by podiatrist Dr. Burton S. Schuler, author of Why You Really Hurt: It All Starts in the Foot ). After seeing countless patients in his Panama City, Florida office, who are diagnosed with fibromyalgia and also have a short first metatarsal bone (Morton”s Toe), Dr. Schuler recommends treating your short toe bone with a simple toe pad to help reduce stress to the foot that can reverberate throughout the body http://whyyoureallyhurt.com/home/#tp). Since many of these same patients are also women, Dr. Schuler also recommends foregoing heels and other uncomfortable footwear in favor of shoes that accommodate natural foot structure. Dr Schuler is also a Diplomate of online ruletti the Academy of Pain Management for the past 20 years.

Another reason given for fibromyalgia diagnosis is workplace bullying. Emotional trauma abounds in the workplace. A recent study conducted by the Workplace Bullying Institute suggests a strong connection between those suffering from workplace bullying and the diagnosis of fibromyalgia. .

The Workplace Bullying Institute website states that “Stressors, aspects of the work environment and the behavior of people working there, can generate stress. Stress is a biological human response. It is physiological and real, not just imagined. Low-level stress may be necessary to compel people to act. However, severe stress, which prevents rational, controlled action, has overwhelmingly negative consequences http://www.workplacebullying.org/targets/impact/physical-harm.html).

Given the range of possible causes for fibromyalgia, it is best to cover all of your bases upon diagnosis through consideration of both physical problems—such as Morton”s Toe—and psychological stress, which ultimately has great impact on the body.

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Many Patients’ with Fibromyalgia not believed, says Podiatrist

Dr. Travell with President Kennedy in the White House

According to a recent survey of physicians who treat fibromyalgia patients, these patients face an uphill battle having their condition taken seriously (http://www.fmaware.org/site/PageServer?pagename=fibromyalgia). This is because Fibromyalgia, which has also been referred to as fibromyalgia syndrome, fibromyositis and fibrositis, is characterized by chronic widespread pain, multiple tender points, abnormal pain processing, sleep disturbances, fatigue and often psychological distress. For those with severe symptoms, fibromyalgia can be extremely debilitating and interfere with basic daily activities.

The study surveys 189 general practitioners (GPs) and 139 specialists, summarizing doctors stated reasons for their negative views toward fibromyalgia: “Twenty-three percent of general practitioners and 12 percent of specialists characterized fibromyalgia patients as malingerers” (http://www.fmnetnews.com/basics-news-perceptions1210.php). These statistics validate what many fibromyalgia patients already knew; they experience biased attitudes in the doctor’s office and it is difficult to get proper diagnosis and treatment when these attitudes are so widespread.

Thankfully, there are physicians out there who are willing to take seriously fibromyagia complaints (http://whyyoureallyhurt.com/mortons-toe/fibromyalgia/). One such doctor is Panama City, Florida podiatrist and author, Dr. Burton S. Schuler, who has written on how a short metatarsal bone (Morton’s Toe) Long Second Toe can affect pain throughout the body–including fibromyalgia pain.

Dr. Schuler draws from medical research by Dr. Janet Travell, a White House physician to both Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, who studied “myofascial pain,” (muscle pain anywhere in the body). This is quite similar to fibromyalgia. Both doctors Travell and Schuler acknowledge a connection between these myofascial/ fibromyalgia pain and Morton’s Toe–or short first metatarsal bone (http://whyyoureallyhurt.com/resources/dr-janet-travell/).
The first toe bone’s length has a great impact on physical pain because if the foot pronates improperly, you can have pain throughout your body. Dr. Schuler writes that many of his podiatry patients who are diagnosed with “Fibro” and have Morton’s Toe respond positively to his toe pad treatment: a simple pad taped beneath the big toe of each foot.

In the 1920’s and 1930”s Dr. Dudley J. Morton of Yale Medical School and Columbia Medical School wrote that a problem with the 1st metatarsal bone, known as a Morton’s Toe could be the reason for most foot problems. Dr. Janet Travel, White House physician to Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, and Professor Emeritus of Medicine at George Washington University took this concept further by writing and teaching that the Morton’s Toe could cause pain all over your body including being a cause of fibro. She wrote and taught for four decades that a “Morton’s Toe could cause, back, hip, knee, leg foot and ankles problems. She felt that the Morton’s Toe, was so important that at the age of 89 she made a video tape to teach other physicians about how to recognize it and how to treat it.

Why You Really Hurt: It All Starts in the Foot, tells the story of these two famous physicians and their association with the common, but painful, medical condition known as the Morton’s Toe. Millions of people suffer everyday with chronic aches and pains from head to toe and don’t know why. Many of them have lost all hope, and believe they will have to live with these pains for the rest of their lives when it just might be the Morton’s Toe, causing their pains The good news is that all of these problems can be treated with a simple pad that costs about two to three dollars

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Fla. Podiatrist writes about New Causes & treatments for Fibromyaglia

Here is an article that was picked up by 1200 news outlets worldwide, about fibromyaglia.

According to Current Rheumatology Reports, the most significant difference between the related Myofascial Pain Syndrome (MPS) and Fibromyalgia ( FM) is that diagnosis of MPS in men and women is equal, while women are 9 times more likely to be diagnosed with FM than men.

The relationship between fibromyalgia (FM) and gender is controversial, and explanations are inconclusive as to why FM is a “women’s disease”. MPS is more commonly diagnosed and related to a trauma which affects one of the body’s trigger points, where as FM is a generalized painful condition that includes fatigue as one of its primary symptoms.

Men and women diagnosed with FM report different symptoms. A recent study in the Journal of Rheumatology found that men with FM have milder symptoms including number/severity of tender points, fatigue, and irritable bowel. But these findings are contradicted by an Israeli study comparing 40 male and 40 female FM patients; this study found male patients reported an overall lower quality of life ( http://www.fmaware.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=6032).

But even if researchers agreed that FM severity depends on gender, the verdict is definitely out on why women are diagnosed so much more frequently with FM than men. In general, the debate can be summarized as the classic dilemma of nature vs. nurture. On the nurture side, we can consider that –due to gender role conditioning–women are more likely than men to complain of pain and seek medical treatment. (The same thing is frequently stated about gender and depression, which is why many more women than men are prescribed with anti-depressants). Also, medical doctors may be more prone to suggest FM as a possible diagnosis when treating women, which implies than many more men may be suffering from it than current statistics reflect.

On the “nature” side of the argument there are many competing theories as well: hormones brain structure, and genetics. A recent University of Iowa study suggests testosterone has a protein that helps repair muscles afer exertion. Since women have less testosterone, they have more muscle fatigue. The study also showed that men are better protected from a biological link between fatigue and pain http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080407153037.htm).

Two other explanations for gender discrepancies in FM diagnosis is brain differences and immune issues. Serotonin (which is said to be lower in FM patients) is a neurotransmitter responsible for a general calm feeling, lack of anxiety, and restful sleep. Researchers in a 2008 Swedish study demonstrated that women naturally have more serotonin receptors and lower levels of a transporting protein http://chronicfatigue.about.com/od/latestresearch/a/women_pain.htm). This likely causes more anxiety and depression in women. Also, more women get conditions that are believed, at least in part, to involve an over-active immune system caused by viral infections that cause inflammatory chemicals causing muscle and joint pain http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/autoimmune-diseases.cfm).

Finally, we need to consider genetic factors in FM frequency. There is a high aggregation of FM in families with FM patients, suggesting a genetic connection http://arthritis-research.com/content/8/5/218).

Another explanation, that can also be considered a potentially genetic condition, is proffered by Panama City podiatrist, foot doctor , Burton S. Schuler. In his book Why You Really Hurt: It’s All in the Foot, Schuler argues that a longer second toe–also referred to as Morton’s Toe–can throw off the foot’s normal pronation, causing the body to become off balance producing muscle pain http://whyyoureallyhurt.com/mortons-toe/fibromyalgia/ )

Schuler’s treatment is a simple toe pad under the first toe to correct the foot’s natural shock absorption, yet he also warns that the pad is forceful and should be used in a gradual manner so the body can adjust to it. Given all of the competing theories about FM causes, and the accompanying, possibly costly, treatments, if a $2 toe pad can alleviate some or all related pain—then who can complain?

More about the Morton’s Toe,

In the 1920’s and 1930″s Dr. Dudley J. Morton of Yale Medical School and Columbia Medical School wrote that a problem with the 1st metatarsal bone, known as a Morton’s Toe could be the reason for most foot problems. Dr. Janet Travel, White House physician to Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, and Professor Emeritus of Medicine at George Washington University took this concept further by writing and teaching that the Morton’s Toe could cause pain all over your body. She wrote and taught for four decades that a Morton’s Toe could cause back, hip, knee, leg foot and ankles problems. She felt that the Morton’s Toe, was so important that at the age of 89 she made a video tape to teach other physicians about how to recognize it and how to treat it.

Why You Really Hurt: It All Starts in the Foot, tells the story of these two famous physicians and their association with the common, but painful, medical condition known as the Morton’s Toe (Long Second Toe) . Millions of people suffer everyday with chronic aches and pains from head to toe and don’t know why. Many of them have lost all hope, and believe they will have to live with these pains for the rest of their lives. The book is significant because for the first time in seventy years the public is made aware of the importance of the Morton’s Toe (Long Second Toe) , and the fact that could be the real unidentified reason (the “medical missing link”) for their unending torments. This book will also show how Morton’s Toe can also cause fibromyalgia, arthritis, sleep disturbances (RLS), temporomandibular joint pain, and numerous other problems through out the body The good news is that all of these problems can be treated with a simple pad that costs about two to three dollars. The bad news is that in spite of the fact that two of the most famous doctors of the twentieth century were behind the Morton’s Toe, most modern day physicians are not aware of Morton’s Toe or of it ability of causing pain all over the body. This book took six years to research and write, but Dr. Schuler feels it was worth it because it should be able to help many people get out of pain. The book is disturbed national by the Cardinal Publishing Group. It will be translated to Greek this Year.