PAINWeek provides a valuable forum
for healthcare providers to learn
new skills, understand current research,
share personal insights, and contribute to the overall
improvement of the delivery of better health care
for the very large population of persons who live
with chronic pain.
COMMON SYMPTOMS OF FIBROMYALGIA
1
Migrating and unexplained
body-wide pain
2
Tenderness to touch
3
hronic pain is a national crisis. The 100+
million Americans who are living with chronic pain conditions face increasing challenges
to accessing appropriate health care, and they
need changes in policy, treatments, education,
and support. The National Fibromyalgia &
Chronic Pain Association (NFMCPA) advocates for patients and educates healthcare professionals on local and national levels, using
the recommendations from the Institute of
Medicine (IOM) Report titled Relieving Pain
in America, which was mandated by Congress
in 2010. Calling for a cultural change in how
chronic pain is regarded, diagnosed, treated,
researched, and taught, the January 16, 2013,
IOM Report provides a blueprint for reducing both the societal impact ($560–$635
billion annually) and the personal suffering
(1 in 3 people) of chronic pain illnesses.
The NFMCPA believes that supporting and
developing initiatives to advance the IOM
Relieving Pain in America Report recommendations will have a profound effect on the
estimated 12 to 16 million Americans who
suffer from fibromyalgia, a chronic pain
Q3 | 2013
Cognitive difficulties
(“fibro fog”)
4
Unrefreshed sleep
5
Chronic fatigue
6
Sore throats and swollen
lymph nodes
7
Environmental sensitivity
(lights, sounds, chemicals)
8
Lack of well-being
9
Heightened fight-or-flight response
(easily startled)
illness. Fibromyalgia (FM) can be a primary
illness or it can be secondary to many other
conditions such as temporomandibular joint
disorder (TMJD), irritable bowel syndrome
(IBS), vulvodynia (VD), interstitial cystitis
(ICD), migraine, lupus, neck pain, headaches,
heart rate variability, rheumatoid arthritis,
and postural or orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). While FM symptoms range
from mild to disabling, secondary fibromyalgia is often undiagnosed.
People with FM often have hyper joint mobility, hypervigilance, and a reduced tolerance of negative stress. A perpetual pain generator (tissue or joint damage) can increase
fibromyalgia symptoms. Managing the
symptoms of overlapping conditions reduces
FM symptoms. Depression can coexist with,
but is not a cause of, fibromyalgia.
PAINWeek provides a valuable forum for
healthcare providers to learn new skills, understand current research, share personal
insights, and contribute to the overall improvement of the delivery of better health
care for the very large population of persons
who live with chronic pain. PAINWeek supports the IOM recommendations to educate
healthcare providers about new research and
treatment practices. While the NFMCPA
educates about fibromyalgia and associated
chronic pain illnesses at PAINWeek, we also
learn from other attending participants and
organizations. Advancing the holistic approach to helping people achieve well-being,
PAINWeek events replace the less-effective
Cartesian model of health care. The National Fibromyalgia & Chronic Pain Association
is pleased to participate in this professional
educational forum.
www.painweek.org | PWJ | 29