Getting poor sleep does more than make you fatigued, It also increases your sensitivity to pain That's bad news since good sleep seems out of reach for many people with fibromyalgia and ME/CFS.

Now comes a surprising study which found that neither NSAIDS nor opioid pain killers helped much with sleep-induced pain but something , something very commonly and cheaply available did. too good to be true? Find out more in...

Breaking the Bad Sleep / Pain Cycle? A Fibromyalgia Inquiry

Trending in the Forums: Trump Administration Takes New Tack To Cut NIH Funding: Lawmakers Push Back

From its work on NK cells to HHV-6 infections to drug testing the SMCI's research focus is clear - to get at the energy deficits they believe are driving ME/CFS patients immune cells nuts. Check out that and what else they're doing with their fascinating research program in

Exhausted Immune System? The SMCI's Research Program Takes Deep Dive into Immunity and Energy

Many people believe central nervous system inflammation is probably causing fibromyalgia but proving that has been difficult. Now comes a study which not only finds evidence of that FM patients brains are "on fire" so to speak, but that the kind of "fire" may be raging in other kinds of chronic pain. That could be very good news for FM patients looking for better treatments

Find out more in
Fibromyalgia Neuroinflammation Study May Highlight Key Factor in Chronic Pain

When even the CDC and NIH promote International ME/CFS Awareness Day you know times are changing. From actions in Washington and around the world, to the film "Unrest", to the Valerie Free's book "Lighting Up a Hidden World" to research projects, there's just more going on now than ever before...

Check out ways to learn, participate and increase yours and others awareness around ME/CFS in

International ME/CFS Awareness Day Isn't What it Used to Be

With insurers fleeing and prices too high for some, the Affordable Care Act was due for a fix. Now a major health care bill has passed the House that attempts to do that. Find out who wins and who loses and how might it affect people with ME/CFS and FM in

Health Care Bill Poses Risks for Chronically Ill and ME/CFS in Particular

The evidence is not ironclad but several studies suggest that having fibromyalgia and/or being in widespread pain may be aging you or even be reducing your lifespan a bit.

That's probably no surprise to anyone who has to deal with FM daily; being in that kind of distress must have its effects. The bigger surprise is why so little is being done about it. Learn more in

Given the pot of (untouched) gold sitting at the NIH is there really any more urgent task for ME/CFS than getting at it?

That pot of gold is why the best move any group made last year may have been Carol Head's hire of the first full-time advocate for ME/CFS ever.

Emily Taylor is a professional with personal experience with ME/CFS - and she has a plan. Find out why Carol's hire is so crucial in the second of a three series blog on the SMCI in

A Professional Advocate for ME/CFS (Finally!) – Emily Taylor: The SMCI Pt. II

The Weeklong Microbiome II Online Summit begins on Monday. Register for it here, or if you know you want to buy it get it (on sale from now until Monday) here. Find out more about it here (and yes, we finally have the right links (lol).

Health Rising kicks off a three-part series on what is still the most prominent and active ME/CFS organization going: The Solve ME/CFS Initiative. Now beginning, believe it or not, it's fourth decade, the SMCI has changed significantly since Carol Head became President three years ago.

First up a look at Carol Head, the SMCI's President who's battle for ME/CFS rights has been deeply informed by her own struggles with it.

Passionate Pragmatist: Carol Head and the Fight for ME/CFS Equality: The SMCI Pt. I

The current crop of FM drugs is hardly the cat's meow but a recent study suggests that with FM drugs more might be better; i.e. combining drugs - perhaps in lower doses - might help both drugs to work better.

Find out more in

Combining Drugs May Work Better in Fibromyalgia

Using cutting-edge technologies new to ME/CFS, Ian Lipkin and Mady Hornig took the deepest dive yet into the gut flora of ME/CFS patients and uncovered another potential subset - their third in a row.

Find out more in a Simmaron Research Foundation sponsored blog

Columbia & Simmaron Gut Study Uncovers Another Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) Subset

Chris Graber was probably the last person anyone thought would ever end up in a wheelchair. The veteran of numerous marathon bike rides - including the Lake Tahoe "Death Ride" - Chris was a physical specimen. His superb fitness, availed him nothing, however, when he bumped up against a moldy house.

It ALL came crashing down; his house, his job, his marriage - they're all gone but it's not over for Chris. Chris finally did find some answers and he's made remarkable progress. Check out Chris's incredible story and the resource he's put together to help others.

"Death Rider": A Mold Illness Story

Got Wordpress skills? Health Rising is looking for people who want to help build a dynamic site that supports the ME/CFS community. We're looking for people who can provide technical support, have ideas (want to build something?) and/or who can provide design (CSS) help. Let's grow this thing together...