Exploring relationships between the microbiome and fibromyalgia - a podcast by Bio-Practica Nutraceuticals

1. Explore the relationship between gut microbial ecology and fibromyalgia – specifically the links between SIBO and Helicobacter pylori infections and the aetiology of this chronic disease.

2. Review evidence linking the microbiome to chronic pain disorders and central sensitisation syndromes, including its role in promoting production of neuropeptide Y and substance P.

3. Examine the underlying links between fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Sharon Erdrich is a clinical naturopath and nutritionist based in Auckland, New Zealand. Sharon has more than 40 years’ experience in the health sector and runs a busy practice where she specialises in digestive disorders. Sharon started her working life as a nurse, gaining her nursing registration in 1980 and working primarily in intensive care settings for 20 years. In 2000 Sharon then returned to study, gaining qualifications in herbal medicine, naturopathy, massage, and aromatherapy. While practicing, Sharon also enrolled in a Masters in Human Nutrition at the University of Auckland. For her Master’s thesis at the University of Auckland, Sharon investigated the degree of DNA damage in men with prostate cancer before and after a 3-month Mediterranean-style diet.

She is currently a PhD researcher at the University of Sydney; her PhD project is examining relationships between the oral and gastrointestinal microbiome in people living with fibromyalgia. Sharon has established a hydrogen-methane breath testing facility in Auckland – the only one of its kind in New Zealand. She is also contributing to the development of the Health Technology Assessment to support the World Naturopathic Federation's application to the World Health Organisation.