Kentfield, CA psychiatrist Stephen Raffle, MD has delivered expert testimony in numerous cases involving matters in employment law, civil law, and conservatorships. In addition, Dr. Raffle and his associates have conducted mental health evaluations to investigate the presence of psychopathology in individuals complaining of chronic pain conditions.
Fibromyalgia, a chronic pain disorder, may be worsened by psychological factors such as stress. The relationship between fibromyalgia and stress has led to the opinion by some that fibromyalgia is a psychosomatic disorder. While the physiological causes of fibromyalgia remain little understood and no laboratory test exists at this time that provides a definitive diagnosis, recent studies have demonstrated that certain blood tests may improve the ability to diagnose the disorder. A study led by Kevin Hackshaw, MD, an associate professor of rheumatology and immunology at Ohio State’s College of Medicine, analyzed blood samples from patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia and other disorders which have similar symptoms, such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and lupus.1 Each sample was evaluated using a vibrational spectroscopy technique that can produce a metabolic fingerprint based on the energy levels in a molecule. Findings suggested that the blood of fibromyalgia patients had specific molecular patterns that were clearly distinct from the other disorders. An accurate metabolic test will reduce misdiagnosis and aid in the development of targeted treatments. Dr. Hackshaw and his research team hope to replicate the findings in a larger sample of patients and develop a reliable diagnostic test that can definitively diagnose fibromyalgia within the next five years.2 1 Hacksaw, Kevin V., et al., Metabolic Fingerprinting for Diagnosis of Fibromyalgia and Other Rheumatologic Disorders, published under license by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc. (December 6, 2018) 2 Weyrich, Lydia, Ohio State Researchers Develop Definitive Test for Fibromyalgia, The Lantern (April 4, 2019): https://www.thelantern.com/2019/04/ohio-state-researchers-develop-definitive-test-for-fibromyalgia/
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AuthorExperienced Kentfield, CA, Psychiatrist Stephen Raffle, MD. Archives
June 2019
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