Do you experience deep and radiating aches in your body? Are you often fatigued and restless, regardless of the amount of sleep you've had? Are you not sleeping enough and find it difficult to get a full night's rest? Have you ever wondered whether the body aches you are feeling are due to fibromyalgia? Has a doctor confirmed that you or a loved one is suffering from fibromyalgia? An estimated 5 million US adults suffer from fibromyalgia and 90% of them are women. Unlike heart disease, diabetes, or cancer, fibromyalgia is not clearly understood. And even medical professionals misdiagnose it or do not know how to treat this chronic pain condition once a diagnoses is made. Don't Take Chances Arm Yourself With The Necessary Knowledge About This Condition With Our Comprehensive And Complete Guide "Fibromyalgia - Making Sense Of It". Understand the symptoms, the causes and risk factors, how diagnosis is made, the prognosis, your treatment options. Improve your quality of life.
This year, six million Americans--most of them women--will go to their doctors, complaining of an illness they have no name for. The majority will be turned away or treated for depression; the few who persist will go to an average of four doctors before they receive the correct diagnosis: fibromyalgia. In their earlier Making Sense of Fibromyalgia, noted medical writer Janice Wallace and Dr. Daniel Wallace, a leading expert on this disorder, provided a comprehensive guide--for both patients and professionals--to this little known and poorly understood syndrome. Now, in All About Fibromyalgia, the Wallaces provide a thoroughly revised and updated version of that highly successful volume, incorporating a wealth of new information. This edition provides the current understanding of the disease as well as the latest drug treatments--all laid out in clear and accessible language. As in the previous volume, the authors provide a detailed, yet clear explanation of the disease. Fibromyalgia, they explain, is a form of chronic neuromuscular pain, a pain-amplification syndrome brought on by abnormal interactions between hormones, the immune system, neurotransmitters, and the autonomic nervous system. Sometimes the syndrome occurs spontaneously; in most cases, the authors write, it is associated with trauma, stress, such conditions as lupus and hypothyroidism, and over forty microbes, from hepatitis to Epstein-Barr to Lyme disease. Drawing on actual cases to illustrate their points, the authors help break through the isolation that patients often feel when doctors misdiagnose or simply ignore their symptoms. All About Fibromyalgia addresses a desperate need for information on this disease and offers reassurance to patients and their families.
Six million people in the United States meet the criteria for fibromyalgia, which is a disorder characterized by a combination of pain, fatigue, and related symptoms. On average, these patients see about four doctors before they are correctly diagnosed, and many are convinced they have a life-threatening illness such as an advanced stage of cancer. About $600 billion is spent annually in the United States to diagnose or manage chronic pain, including litigation fees, and it is estimated that fibromyalgia patients run up $20 billion in medical expenses annually. Despite these alarming numbers, there is a lack of understanding and a dearth of reliable information about fibromyalgia for patients. This fully updated edition of Making Sense of Fibromyalgia distills complex concepts and symptoms into an easily understandable narrative. Daniel J. Wallace, a leading rheumatologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, and Janice Brock Wallace, an expert medical writer, have updated the original classic resource, which has sold over 100,000 copies since 1999. Making Sense of Fibromyalgia provides clear answers to common questions, explains findings from the latest research, and discusses treatment options for complex symptoms. Detailed information is provided about topics such as who gets fibromyalgia and why; how stress, hormones, and your immune system interact and relate to fibromyalgia; what conditions are associated with it; why and how you might be misdiagnosed; how to overcome fibromyalgia; and how to understand your prognosis. The authors share all there is to know about the syndrome as well as how our understanding of it has changed over time. This comprehensive companion covers the entire spectrum of issues for those suffering from fibromyalgia, as well as their families, friends, caretakers, primary care physicians, and other health professionals.
Called the “invisible disease,” fibromyalgia is estimated to impact more than 10 million Americans. And yet, so much is still misunderstood about this chronic disorder. Mayo Clinic Guide to Fibromyalgia is an invaluable resource for understanding fibromyalgia and its debilitating symptoms. Those living with fibromyalgia know it is an invasive disorder, one that can cause overwhelming fatigue, joint stiffness, sleep problems, migraines, digestive problems, and troubles with memory and concentration, a symptom so common it is often referred to as “fibrofog.” While it's believed that humans have suffered from fibromyalgia for hundreds, even thousands, of years, a delay in medical research means many people living with fibromyalgia are still in the dark, confused by their symptoms and what causes the painful disorder. By drawing upon decades of advanced research in studying and treating fibromyalgia, Mayo Clinic Guide to Fibromyalgia combines anecdotes from real cases with expertise from Mayo Clinic’s rheumatology and chronic pain experts to provide an all-encompassing guide for understanding one of the most common chronic illnesses affecting Americans today. This book also offers reasonable, proven strategies—like worksheets to help readers craft a personalized daily plan—for managing common fibromyalgia symptoms, while serving as a comforting guide for those who may feel alone in their journey with fibromyalgia. This book breaks down what fibromyalgia is—and isn’t—in 4 separate sections: · Section 1 introduces fibromyalgia, the history and modern discoveries of fibromyalgia research, as well as common myths and misconceptions associated with the condition · Section 2 outlines the different treatment options available to those who suffer from fibromyalgia, including prescription medications, therapies, and forms of integrative medicine · Section 3 offers helpful tips for managing—and improving—chronic pain through diet, exercise, sleep, and stress management · Finally, Section 4 explains how to find guidance and support from your family, friends, and physicians to help you live a life unhindered by fibromyalgia If you’re struggling to advance past your painful fibromyalgia symptoms, get the book Publisher’s Weekly described as “the first [book] a newly diagnosed patient should consult.”
The author highlights the experiences of twenty women to shed light on thisommon and often untreated chronic pain syndrome, which has no known cause orure. Simultaneous.
Myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) are serious, debilitating conditions that affect millions of people in the United States and around the world. ME/CFS can cause significant impairment and disability. Despite substantial efforts by researchers to better understand ME/CFS, there is no known cause or effective treatment. Diagnosing the disease remains a challenge, and patients often struggle with their illness for years before an identification is made. Some health care providers have been skeptical about the serious physiological - rather than psychological - nature of the illness. Once diagnosed, patients often complain of receiving hostility from their health care provider as well as being subjected to treatment strategies that exacerbate their symptoms. Beyond Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome proposes new diagnostic clinical criteria for ME/CFS and a new term for the illness - systemic exertion intolerance disease(SEID). According to this report, the term myalgic encephalomyelitis does not accurately describe this illness, and the term chronic fatigue syndrome can result in trivialization and stigmatization for patients afflicted with this illness. Beyond Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome stresses that SEID is a medical - not a psychiatric or psychological - illness. This report lists the major symptoms of SEID and recommends a diagnostic process.One of the report's most important conclusions is that a thorough history, physical examination, and targeted work-up are necessary and often sufficient for diagnosis. The new criteria will allow a large percentage of undiagnosed patients to receive an accurate diagnosis and appropriate care. Beyond Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome will be a valuable resource to promote the prompt diagnosis of patients with this complex, multisystem, and often devastating disorder; enhance public understanding; and provide a firm foundation for future improvements in diagnosis and treatment.
Characterized by chronic widespread pain, fibromyalgia presents complex problems in both its diagnosis and treatment. Fibromyalgia is a fairly common condition, affecting 2-4% of the population. The condition's prevalence has increased dramatically since 1990. The condition is not new, but has been known by various names, such as fibrositis and myofascial pain syndrome until 1990, when the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) published new classification criteria and first used the name fibromyalgia. The absence of objective diagnostic testing and the overlap with other condition often leads to a significant delay in diagnosis. There is a general misconception that the condition is unresponsive to treatment. However, published research shows that diagnosing and managing fibromyalgia leads to meaningful improvement in the patient's symptons and quality of life. Patients with fibromyalgia often demonstrate symptons additional to pain and are consquently diagnosed with one or more co-occurring syndromes and conditions, complicating diagnosis and treatment. The comorbidities most commonly associated wtih fibromyalgia are sleep disturbance, depression, anxiety, and other psychiatric disorders. Another condition frequently demonstrated by fibromylgia patients is irritable bowel syndrome. Chronic fatigue syndrome also commonly co-occurs, and is often confused wtih fibromyalgia upon initial diagnosis. Numerous pharmacological therapy options exist to treat pain and related symptons of fibromyalgia. Achievement of desired treatment outcomes requires careful patient selection, drug administration and monitoring. Accurate diagnosis of chronic pain syndromes is critical, as some commonly used medications to treat many pain conditions are relatively ineffective wtih fibromyalgia. Despite increasing recognition as a relatively common cause of chronic pain, fibromyalgia continues to generate controversy among clinicians. Given the intricate and challenging nature of treating fibromyalgia and comorbid disorders, it is imperative to educate primary care providers on the initial symptons, complications, and treatment strategies for fibromyalgia, as most patients with the condition will see a primary care provider for initial diagnosis/referral, and follow-up-care. In the years since the release of the ACR criteria, increasing recognition and advances in research have provided key insights into the etiology of fibromyalgia, resulting in the use of several successful pharmacological, as well as non-pharmacological, treatment approaches. However, despite the efforts of professional medical organizations and patient care groups, awareness of the current state of clinical assessment and treatment of fibromyalgia by healthcare professionals continues to be lacking. This book is designed to provide a succint and practical guide to help primary care physicians, internists, specialists, and allied health professionals effectively diagnose and manage patients with fibromyalgia. This concise volume will provide an essential understanding of the pathophysiology of the pain, subtypes, and pitfalls in the diagnosis of this chronic condition.
Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition characterised by pain in the muscles, tendons, ligaments and nerves. Other symptoms include fatigue, sleep problems, allergies, anxiety, irritable bowel syndrome, headaches, morning stiffness and problems with short term memory and concentration. Increasing recognition of fibromyalgia means that diagnosis and treatment are increasingly likely, but self-help is still key. As well as tried and tested advice on how to reduce pain, boost energy levels and help with regular sleep, this new edition includes the latest in treatments, such as the popular therapy guaifenesin (sic). It also looks at how pain is experienced, explores the possibility that fibromylagia may be due to a rogue gene, and clarifies the difference between fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. Other topics include: fibromyalgia and immune dysfunction; links with hypothyroidism; psychotherapy; the vital importance of low-impact aerobic exercise such as walking, cycling or swimming diet; illustrated posture and exercise advice; pain and stress management; complementary therapies 'Having managed her own fibromyalgia, Christine now passes her experience and knowledge on to others so that they do not have to spend their precious time researching what she has already done. Progress has been made over the last few years and more medical professionals are recognising the symptoms, but there are still many who lack the knowledge to diagnose and treat fibromyalgia effectively. At present there are no national guidelines for treatment. This is one reason this book is so vital to those with fibromyalgia their families, friends and employers' Pam Stewart MBE, Fibromyalgia Association UK chair.
