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.

"Dr. Keddy captures the patient's experience of living and coping with suffering in the poignant interviews with twenty women who have fibromyalgia, herself included." -Dr. Jock Murray, medical humanities and neurology professor, Dalhousie University Medical School Fibromyalgia, a musculoskeletal condition characterized by widespread chronic pain and fatigue, specific tender points, and sleep disturbance, is a major medical and social concern for physicians, employers, workers' compensation boards, and the insurance industry. But what about those who suffer from the condition? Drawing on her own experiences as well as the stories of twenty other women living with the challenges of fibromyalgia, Barbara A. Keddy, RN, PhD, discusses current theories of causes and types of treatments. She also speculates about why this condition is more prominent among women than men. By sharing these stories, Keddy highlights the invisibility of the daily difficulties fibromyalgia sufferers face. With its uniquely personal perspective, Women and Fibromyalgia validates Keddy's experience and offers hope for her and others that they will someday take back control of their bodies.

The first unbiased assessment of fibromyalgia.

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.”

A clear, four-step plan to overcoming fibromyalgia Fibromyalgia is a widespread musculoskeletal pain and fatigue disorder that afflicts nearly 10 million Americans--mostly women. Written by a fibromyalgia sufferer and her doctor, who are collaborators for the Fibromyalgia Friends Support Group, Living with Fibromyalgia provides you with a revolutionary four-step plan to overcoming this debilitating condition. Although there is no known cause or cure for fibromyalgia, much can be done to relieve the pain. Living with Fibromyalgia lays out a clear strategy and easy-to-follow plan that will help you learn how to adapt to this chronic illness. The book explores how you can: Find the right care Rebuild your relationships Stabilize stress . . . and more

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.

FMS, a common term for fibromyalgia, attacks men, women, and even children of all ages, varying in intensity from patient to patient. Because doctors do not like to treat conditions they dont understand, patients are often ignored, denied pain relief, shuttled off to other experts, or filled with powerful prescription drugs that may add new and confusing symptoms. Thus begins a vicious cycle of frustrating doctor appointments with no clear diagnoses and continuing treatments that may or may not lead to any relief. If youve always trusted that most of your doctors are up-to-date, informed, and rarely mistaken about a diagnosis or treatment, What Your Doctor Doesnt Know about Fibromyalgia may change your mind. Fibromyalgia is listed as one of the top ten most painful conditions in medicine, but many doctors still do not believe in it. If they do recognize it, they have only a vague notion of a collection of mild symptoms that they attribute to stress, menstrual problems, weight gain, depression, or hysterianone of which have been scientifically linked to fibromyalgia. What Your Doctor Doesn't Know about Fibromyalgia will help you take charge of your condition and teach you how to find physicians you can trust so that you can obtain the relief you need.

Fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, migraines and restless legs syndrome are disorders caused by an inability of the brain to properly regulate pain and sympathetic nervous activity, according to rheumatologist Dr. Clay McCord. Dr. McCord presents evidence that a chemical imbalance in the brain disrupts deep sleep. Therapy that restores this imbalance improves sleep and alleviates symptoms. Failure to recognize these associations has led to misdiagnosis, mistreatment, referrals to multiple specialists and money needlessly wasted. This book attempts to put an end to misunderstandings as they relate to fibromyalgia and dispels myths that the disease either doesn't exist or is all in the patient's mind. No longer should patients suffer unnecessarily or fall victim to charlatans offering nothing more than "junk science." After being frustrated for years watching others profit off discredited theories, Dr. McCord feels revealing the truth is the only way to combat the deception and bring relief to those who suffer. TH Dr. Clay McCord practices medicine in southern California. He graduated from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School and is certified in Rheumatology and Internal Medicine by the American Board of Internal Medicine.

Fibromyalgia is real. The pain you awaken with is not in your head. You're not even remotely a hypochondriac. If anyone--doctor, chiropractor, physical therapist, well- meaning loved one--ever tries to convince you otherwise, tune them out. They are wrong. Likewise, if anyone ever tells you fibro is incurable and you'll just have to learn to live with it, understand they're seriously misinformed. You may even be able to fix your fibromyalgia on your own, without doctors and without drugs. This book will tell you how. So begins author David Edelberg, MD, an internist specializing in fibromyalgia, in his long-awaited book Healing Fibromyalgia. Dr Edelberg has treated 1,600+ women with fibro using the plan presented here, including step-by-step instructions for Dr E's Six-Week Nearly Natural Fibro Cure. In clear, reassuring language, Dr E explains how with fibro your whole self--the mind and body totality that makes you you--is under protective siege, your body trying desperately to guard itself from the assault of multiple sources of stress. Envision your muscles tightening up and creating a protective suit of armor. That's fibro in a nutshell. Your muscles aren't sick or inflamed, but they're definitely tired of being locked up like this, trying to protect you and making you utterly exhausted in the process. Ironically, if your muscles could talk, they'd probably say, Look, lady, we're just doing our job. We got this message from you that we're under serious stress. This tightening-up is what muscles do. Statistics prove it: Some 10 to 14 million Americans currently fulfill the diagnostic criteria for fibro and 80-90% of that group are undiagnosed. Than means more American women have fibromyalgia than diabetes. Wait, you think. Am I hearing this right? Is Dr E saying that the 12 million American women with fibro are so stressed that they're engaged in a 24/7 painful muscle lock-up of self protection and self preservation? That's exactly what he's saying. Don't live with fibromyalgia a single day longer than necessary. Whether your fibro responds to the Nearly Natural Cure or you need a little extra help from prescription drugs, this plan will help resolve your painful fibromyalgia forever. Also includes: Dr E's precise (and invaluable) fibro drug dosing instructions are radically different from what your own doctor might recommend and they increase your chances of success. Your doctor doesn't believe in fibro? The book provides expert advice on finding one who will take your condition seriously. As a bonus, Healing Fibromyalgia includes the Physician's Guide to Fibromyalgia, including Dr E''s complete treatment protocols. If your stubborn fibro requires prescription drugs, print out the guide and hand it to your physician. Don't go it alone. With this book and the Dr E's physician's guide in hand, you and your doctor will become an educated team in resolving your fibro. Includes: How Do I Know If I Have Fibro? Take the Quiz How to Classify Your Fibro Severity Memories in Your Muscles Tests Every Fibro Patient Should Know About Dr E's Six-Week Nearly Natural Fibro Cure Fibro-Friendly Eating Plan Medications for Fibro: How They Work and How They Can Help Pain Drugs for Fibro Alternative Medicine for Fibromyalgia You've Got A Friend: Women Speak Out About Their Fibro Fibro's Larger Message: Women Under Siege Physician's Guide to Fibromyalgia