Hi Friend,
Yesterday, we discussed the "Broken Battery" of fatigue (Mitochondrial dysfunction).
Today, we need to talk about the Pain.
If you have a Fibromyalgia diagnosis, or if you simply live with unexplained chronic pain, you know the drill.
You get the MRI. You get the blood work. You wait for answers.
And the doctor says: "Everything looks normal. It’s likely just stress."
Here is the scientific reality they didn't explain to you:
Structural damage is not the only cause of pain.
You are likely suffering from Central Sensitisation and Neuroinflammation.
🔬 The Science: Why You Hurt
To understand your pain, we have to look at the Microglia.
These are the immune cells that live in your brain and spinal cord. In a healthy body, they are dormant "housekeepers."
But in chronic illness (Lyme, Long Covid, ME/CFS), these cells become primed.
The Trigger: An initial infection or prolonged stress event signals danger.
The Glitch: Your Microglia stop being housekeepers and start behaving like soldiers. They pump out inflammatory chemicals (cytokines like IL-1 and TNF-alpha) directly into your nervous system.
The Volume Knob: This inflammation lowers the threshold of your pain receptors (in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord).
The Result:
Your nerves start amplifying everything.
The tag on your shirt? Pain.
A change in barometric pressure? Agony.
A gentle hug? Bruising (Allodynia).
Your body isn't "broken" in the sense that you have a broken bone. Your body is inflamed at the control center.
🧪 The Hidden Diagnosis: Small Fiber Neuropathy
Did you know that recent studies show up to 50% of people diagnosed with Fibromyalgia actually have Small Fiber Neuropathy (SFN)?
This is actual damage to the tiny nerve endings in your skin and organs. It causes that burning, prickling, or "electric shock" sensation—and it rarely shows up on standard nerve conduction tests.
This is why standard painkillers don't work.
You cannot fix neuroinflammation with painkillers. You have to lower the inflammation in the brain and retrain the limbic system.
This is complex. Unraveling whether your pain is from Microglial activation, Small Fiber Neuropathy, or a structural issue requires a detective, not just a doctor.
If you are tired of generic advice and want a deep dive into YOUR specific biology, I have a few openings for 1:1 Consultations . We can look at your history and build a protocol to turn the volume knob down.
Book Your 1-1 Consultation here
But the big question remains...
You weren't born with inflamed Microglia. What turned them on?
What is the "ghost" in the machine that keeps your immune system in this aggressive state?
Tomorrow, I’m going to reveal the culprit. (Hint: It’s often a virus you thought you recovered from years ago).
Stay Well,
