Um, no. It's caused by an overactive sympathetic nervous response to cold, causing vasospasm and decreased blood flow. That doesn't sound psychosomatic to me.

so what causes the overreactive sympathetic nervous response? On and by the way it's autonomic. Also, it seems you don't know what psychosomatic means. The reduced blood flow response to the cold is the same as pavlovian conditioning. A psychosomatic (mind and body) response

By that definition, a lot of problems are psychosomatic, including anything that causes pain. "Psychosomatic" is one of those terms a lot of medical professionals avoid, because people have a wrong, often negative understanding of the word.

Are you really going to argue medical semantics with me? The sympathetic nervous system is a part of the autonomic nervous system, along with the parasympathetic. So you lose there, idiot. And a psychosomatic disorder is characterized by a physical response to an environmental cue. For example, if you get nervous and start to breath fast and your pulse quickens as you read this and realise that you're completely wrong. Reynaud's is physical, not psychosomatic. A pavlovian response is completely different. Don't think you're some expert because you read a book.

I agree, raynauds is a physical (irrational) response to a conditioned stimulus (cold air). I'm saying the underlying cause is mental, but the symptoms are physical. As raynauds sufferers continue to believe the symptoms are caused by the cold this belief strengthens the conditioned cycle

also, I could care less what you think. This approach has been used to treat a lot of raynauds sufferers. I was able to cure my rsi myself (a similar condition regarding blood flow to the extremities). It is literally as simple as breaking the conditioned cycle through knowledge

It is a physical response (vasomotor spasm) to a physical stimulus (cold). There are some people who will have the response to stress as well, but this is not to be confused with Pavlovian conditioning. That's a learned response to a neutral stimulus. For example, if every time you read an FML someone tweaked your nipples, eventually you'd get the nipple-tweaking sensation when you read an FML, even without the actual tweaking.

what you just described is like pavlovian conditioning. Just because somthing isn't intentionally learned doesn't mean the subconsious mind can't form the connection itself. If the raynauds sufferers on this board knew that the cold isn't causing this response the response would quickly go extinct

in this case the cold is the neutral stimulus. The subconsious mind for some reason has formed this connection and it is strengthend as patients become more fearful of the cold. This is y I recommend the book to break this cycle

Thank you, mercy; that's it exactly. Despite its technical definition, "psychosomatic" is often understood by laypeople as "not real," or "all in your head." Hell, some doctors refuse to use it for that reason. (Never mind that ALL sensation can be said to be "in your head". That's another argument entirely.) Using that term outside of a medical setting-- and no, a health-related FML does not qualify as a medical setting-- is bound to make those you're trying to reach defensive. Obviously, this isn't an undeniably psychosomatic issue, but even if it was, Gylene's comment would likely fall on deaf ears due to that word alone. Which, in my opinion at least, would be an entirely justified and reasonable reaction.

*Gyrene. My apologies.

wow. I actually agree and like docbastards comment for once

Even though this argument is pretty much dead, I'm gonna add to it. Raynaud's is also known as the "red, white, and blue disease" because your fingers turn red white and blue due to lack of oxygen and eventually hypoxia. The pain is due to the oxygen loss. I personally don't think that the mind can physically tell the blood to stop circulating. Yes, some pain is mental, but not pain with a clear cause and mechanism. Your friend was probably misdiagnosed or self diagnosed and did not really have Raynaud's. Just saying.

No, Raynaud's is a hereditary vasospasmatic condition that one inherits from their parents. It has nothing to do with the mind whatsoever.

Have you seen the picture of the man who got a giant finger tattooed onto his arm stump? This would be very fitting for OP :)

Sometimes it's not the actual temperature number, and is actually a sudden change in temperature. If it's 73 in your house and 69 outside, then that could be why. If the change is gradual or indoor temperature is lower (for me anyway) I can sometimes bear temperatures as low as 55! So if there's any way for you to make a gradual shift that may help a lot

my feet hurt like they're burning, no matter how hard I try to keep them warm, it doesn't work. I have the same thing. and I agree, it sucks so much, I hate it.

I'm surprised more people haven't mentioned that. its the first thing I thought of.

Mine do that too, but its usually much colder than 70. I doubt its actual raynauds since from what I gather, your hands aren't going numb.

#171 Actually, they are.

Yeah, that sounds like Raynauds. The classic symptoms are that your fingers turn stark white then your hands (also your feet!) then they turn blue but mine look more purple.