Fibromyalgia is a common and chronic disorder that affects approximately 4 million Americans, or two percent of the population.1 Symptoms include frequent widespread pain, exhaustion, insomnia, muscle and joint stiffness, increased touch, sound, and/or light sensitivity, disjointed or “foggy” thinking, and gastrointestinal problems. While the exact cause of fibromyalgia is lesser known, certain populations are known to be more susceptible, including women, individuals with a family history of fibromyalgia, and patients with certain comorbid conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, depression, anxiety, and irritable bowel syndrome.2 These findings suggest that there may be a genetic as well as an autoimmune component to fibromyalgia. Imaging studies have also shown differences in neural circuitry when comparing patients with fibromyalgia to healthy controls.2 Furthermore, for patients with fibromyalgia, some environmental stimuli may trigger pain, adding another layer to this complex condition. Interesting new research has looked for ways to reduce triggers for fibromyalgia pain, specifically visual triggers.
Reducing fibromyalgia-related pain can be difficult even with medication; therefore, avoidance or elimination of known stimuli is recommended for disease management. Now a group of researchers from Duke University may have found a way to suppress visual triggers for fibromyalgia pain using a noninvasive approach: specially tinted green lenses.3
According to Padma Gulur, MD, the study arose from an acute need to manage fibromyalgia pain while limiting the prescription of addictive pain relievers such as opioids. Previous studies have shown the calming and analgesic effects of green light on the brain in patients with migraines and fibromyalgia. However, exposure to light of the correct wavelength had often involved sitting in a specially-designed “light room,” which most patients would not regularly have access to. A way to replicate these effects with a simple, portable device would be a promising method of applying those findings to the real world.
The recent study included 34 patients, who were randomly divided into three groups. One group wore blue glasses, another clear, and another the specially-made green glasses. Those who wore the green glasses were significantly more likely to report a reduction in anxiety and reduced their opioid intake, although notably, self-reported pain scores remained the same. These patients also reported feeling better when wearing the glasses. Anecdotally, Dr. Gulur noted that some of the patients in the green-glasses group requested to keep their pairs. No such requests were made by the other groups.
The results reported by Dr. Gulur’s group remain preliminary: for example, the patient population included was small, and multiple trials will be needed to confirm the replicability of the results. Regardless, this intervention has the potential to be superior to existing interventions for fibromyalgia, which tend to be costly and relatively ineffective. Wearing green lenses would also pose a safe and noninvasive alternative to long-term pain medication.
Although the green lenses are not yet available for purchase, Pain News Network reports that they are currently being investigated for use in other disorders that are associated with inadequate analgesia, including diabetic neuropathy and chronic back pain.3
References
1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020, January 6). Fibromyalgia. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/basics/fibromyalgia.htm
2 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2022, April 8). Fibromyalgia. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. Retrieved from https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/fibromyalgia
3 Anson, P. (2022, October 24). Green eyeglasses improve anxiety and wellness in fibromyalgia patients. Pain News Network. Retrieved from https://www.painnewsnetwork.org/stories/2022/10/24/green-eyeglasses-reduce-anxiety-and-improve-wellness-in-fibromyalgia-patients