Recovery Michigan

Controversies surround Gulf War Illness research. For one there is a false perception that the research only concerns psychosomatic illness. However, that supposition is decidedly not the case. For more than 10 years, VA research on Gulf War Illness has consisted of strictly biologic and not psychosomatic studies. Both VA and Department of Defense (DoD) research have identified abnormalities in the brainand exercise abnormalities, which confirm the physical and not psychosomatic basis of Gulf War Illness, certain effective treatments (exercise, cognitive therapies, nighttime positive pressure breathing), and clues to biomarkers. However, it has not nearly filled the many gaps in knowledge on exposures or their treatments.

Industry research on Gulf War Illness has also been limited. Perhaps therapies for Gulf War Illness could also be effective in more common pain and intestinal syndromes, providing a larger population for such treatments.

Because research has not discovered very many treatments for Gulf War Illness, the clinical approach is generally directed towards treating symptoms. As noted above, exercise and nighttime positive pressure breathing can be specifically effective treatment for the symptoms of Gulf War Illness including pain. The use of cognitive-type therapies is a sensitive topic for Gulf War veterans because of the historic perception of psychosomatic causation. However, cognitive therapies and mindfulness, which are often effective in serious conditions like cancer pain, have been proven effective for Gulf War Illness as well.