Fibromyalgia Treatment
Fibromyalgia – One Out of Every 73 Americans is Affected. How to treat?
A short while ago I wrote about hope in treating fibromyalgia and that some physicians did not believe it a legitimate syndrome. I received a few unkind words about it as if it were my own private stance. Well, I am trying again. However, I advocate not to shooting the messenger. I just put together what I find and report it to you as impartial information. It is not a white paper on my position. With that said, I move ahead. However, I understand that is very difficult to be dispassionate when you are in pain and feel no one can help or cares.
There are many new treatments for fibromyalgia. Some work and some don’t. Not every treatment will help everyone, or do so in an equivalent manner. Some may not be helped at all. That is the nature of disease and medicine. Some people improve with time only.
This is a difficult disease to treat. As time has progressed, more physicians, therapists and patients are aware of its existence as a syndrome and its symptomtology. After all, one out of every 73 Americans is affected. The team approach for therapy is probably the most effective. A patient must be pro-active in her approach. Compliance must be high. The patient must be responsible in following the plan, taking the medications ordered and obtaining therapy as needed.
Although many general practitioners are becoming familiar with the problem, one should probably obtain a consultation in a pain management clinic where all the expertise is centralized. You need remember, this is the site where the physicians and therapist are who have the greatest experience in caring for patients with this disease.
The clinic will give each patients their own personal regimen. An active exercise program is desirable and can be very therapeutic. Resistance exercises are effective in increasing strength. Aerobic exercises also lead to improvement. But patient compliance can deteriorate quickly. If one can walk or garden or just get out and do something, one has a chance of improvement. This can start as a minimal program and increased in activity as the patient progresses. It is also important to use physical therapy with massage or skin cooling techniques. The use of ethyl chloride spray over trigger points is usually very effective. Other alternative therapies to consider are chiropractic and acupuncture.
Behavior modification is also suggested. Here, hypnosis can be used to induce relaxation, pain Free states and meditation. Stress avoidance skills and new coping activities may be learned. If one can avoid stress, a primary inciting factor, one can lessen the pain of the disease.
Multiple types of drugs have been used with varying degrees of success. In some low dose anti-depressants may help with pain and sleep. Combination therapy with Prozac and Elavil are more helpful than when used alone. Unfortunately, some experience more side effects or the symptoms become worse. Minor analgesics can be used successfully in some but are ineffective. One must consider chronic opioid treatment if pain is intractable. However, this has its own significant problems and side effects. Others suggest trying human growth hormone.
This summarizes current therapy. Hopefully, one of them can assist you in feeling better.
May 22nd, 2009 at 8:54 am
Yeah.. Resistance exercise is more effective than drugs..