Human Growth Hormone relieves symptoms of Fibromyalgia Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic disorder that causes pain all over the body accompanied by joint and muscle stiffness. If is more common in women and is diagnosed by identifying specific tender points on the body. These “trigger points” are particularly tender to touch. Finding effective treatments for fibromyalgia has been elusive. It is well established that individuals who suffer from fibromyalgia have low levels of human growth hormone (hGH), and one theory is that this may be a cause of FM. New research has shown that growth hormone injections can relieve the pain and stiffness that comes with fibromyalgia. Growth hormone deficiency is associated with symptoms not unlike those of FM: low energy, muscle weakness, sensitivity to cold, weakened ability to remember and think. Based on these notions, Alfonso Leal-Cerro, MD, a professor of endocrinology at the Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio in Seville, Spain, set out to determine whether hGH injections would help patients with FM. He and colleagues followed 20 women with both fibromyalgia and low levels of IGF-1. Each woman received injections of either growth hormone or placebo. For six months, neither the women nor the researchers knew whether the women were receiving growth hormone or the placebo. Then, for the next 12 months, all the women were knowingly treated with growth hormone. The results? After six months of treatment, the women that received the growth hormone injections had significantly less morning stiffness and pain and fewer tender points than at the beginning of treatment. The women continued to see these benefits at 12 months. The placebo group had significantly less morning stiffness and fewer tender points but had no significant reduction in pain. Dr. Leal-Cerro presented these findings at the annual meeting of The Endocrine Society. To Return To The “About HGH” Link Index Click Here Or Use Your Browser’s Back Button |