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News Releases
Fibromyalgia 101
Columbia, Mo. (May 16, 2007) - Fibromyalgia is a debilitating disease that affects one in 50 Americans, according to the American College of Rheumatology. The disease often causes widespread pain, as well as fatigue and tenderness in the neck, back, shoulders, and hands. Living with constant and daunting pain, fibromyalgia can make simple tasks and activities feel impossible. Even wearing a necklace or shaking hands can be excruciatingly painful for those with the disease.
Lynne Matallana is not only the founder and president of the National Fibromyalgia Association; she also lives with the disease. "We feel the pain all the time. Every part of your body feels damaged or hurt," she says. It is that significant pain and fatigue that can also interfere with the ability to carry out daily activities, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.
Since there is no test for fibromyalgia, diagnosing it is difficult and physicians must rely solely on patients' reports of symptoms. That lack of physical evidence of the disease caused healthcare professionals for many years to question fibromyalgia as an actual condition. That mindset has gradually changed as more healthcare professionals and medical organizations have begun to recognize fibromyalgia as a real disease. So, it is important to find a physician who is not only knowledgeable about fibromyalgia, but also one who will listen and work with you.
Medications may be prescribed by your healthcare professional as treatment, but they may also recommend good nutrition, relaxation techniques and exercise to better manage the disease.
According to the National Fibromyalgia Association, those changes and lifestyle adaptations can bring about recognizable improvement in function and quality of life. "It is so important for us to learn how to reduce symptoms of pain and learn how to have distractions," says Matallana. "I always say, 'Put the pain in the back of your head.'"
Finally, it is not only important to educate yourself about fibromyalgia, but also those closest to you. "Support groups can play a very important role in coping with fibromyalgia," says Matallana. "It is often helpful to take a spouse, family member or friend so they can have a better understanding of the illness." Organizations such as the Arthritis Foundation, the National Fibromyalgia Association or the American Fibromyalgia Syndrome Association provide information, educational classes and support groups on the disease.
For more information on fibromyalgia, visit Web sites for the Missouri Arthritis Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers www.marrtc.org, the National Fibromyalgia Association http://www.FMaware.org, or the American Fibromyalgia Syndrome Association http://www.afsafund.org.
The Missouri Arthritis Research Rehabilitation and Training Center (MARRTC) was established in 1971 at the University of Missouri-Columbia Arthritis Center. MARRTC is funded by the U.S. Department of Education's National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (H133B031120) and is the only federally funded arthritis rehabilitation research and training center in the country.
As part of the MU Health Communication Research Center (HCRC), MARRTC's mission is to become a national leader in the areas of disability management and communication, improve the quality of life and promote independent living among people who have arthritis and arthritic conditions. MARRTC's core message is "Disability is everyone's issue."
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