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Men with Fibromyalgia Often Go Undiagnosed
Fibromyalgia is one of the most difficult conditions to diagnose because its symptoms – chronic pain, fatigue and mood changes – are often mistaken by doctors for other conditions. According to research published in Arthritis Care & Research, only one in twenty men who have the disease are being treated.
Fibromyalgia affects more than five million Americans and is characterized by bouts of chronic widespread pain and tenderness lasting for three or more months. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic looked at over 3,000 patients over the course of two studies and consistently found that people who have fibromyalgia are going undiagnosed.
The discrepancy was greatest among men. Researchers say as many as twenty times more men appeared to have fibromyalgia based on their survey response than had been diagnosed, while three times more women reported fibromyalgia symptoms than were diagnosed.
But why that prevalence of under reporting among men exists may have something to do with a lack of understanding of the disease among some health care providers, said lead author Dr. Ann Vincent, medical director of the Mayo Clinic’s Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Clinic.
Full story of fibromyalgia diagnosed in men at American News Report
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Acupuncture has limited benefit for chronic pain
Acupuncture may help relieve chronic back, joint and shoulder pain, according to a new review of the evidence - but some of its benefit is likely due to the "placebo effect," researchers concluded.
In an analysis of 29 studies, they found people who got acupuncture typically reported more pain relief than those who didn't.
But patients treated with fake or "sham" acupuncture - using retracting needles that don't stick in the skin, for example - estimated their pain at somewhere in between the other two groups, suggesting that they also got some benefit from the procedure.
"A doctor who has a patient in pain has a lot of options," such as medications and physical or talk therapy, said lead author Andrew Vickers, from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York.
"This provides evidence that they would be justified in considering… acupuncture," he told Reuters Health.
Acupuncture has been controversial among doctors as a possible treatment for a range of conditions including chronic pain and fibromyalgia.
Full story of acupuncture and chronic pain at Fox News
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Fibromyalgia/Chronic Fatigue: Diagnosis Difficult, Benefits Often Denied
Large insurance companies often deny disability claims based on fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. A Los Angeles insurance claims lawyer may be able to help.
June 10, 2012 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome are two frequently misunderstood medical conditions. According to the National Institutes of Health people often think they developed overnight and exist only within a person's mind. The truth is that these diseases have been around for centuries, although they were commonly believed to be a single condition known as muscular rheumatism.
With technological advances, physicians and medical researchers have been able to specifically categorize these two unique diseases. The recent ability to diagnose these ailments allows patients an increased chance of managing the disorder and returning to their daily routines.
Full story of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue at Digital Journal
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Dismantling the painful stigma about fibromyalgia
There is a daily struggle for people living with fibromyalgia-- an often very painful and debilitating condition. However, the stigma of whether it is a real disease still looms.
Despite fibromyalgia being a chronic pain condition affecting 10 million Americans, one in three adults surveyed by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) has never heard of it or doesn't
consider it a real disease. The result, according to the AOA, is that many patients are afraid to address possible fibromyalgia symptoms for fear they'll be accused of "faking it."
"Fibromyalgia is a very common condition where the muscle, bone and tissue don't function properly with one another. But not a lot of people know about it," says Jennifer Caudle, DO, an AOA board-certified osteopathic family physician in Philadelphia. "It generally consists of chronic pain, sometimes debilitating pain, and often this pain comes with other symptoms of fibromyalgia -- such as fatigue, headache, insomnia, depression and anxiety. It can be difficult to get out of bed and go to work."
Massage as Part of a Multidisciplinary Treatment Program for Fibromyalgia
By Massage Mag.com
Massage therapy and other touch therapies, including craniosacral and myofascial release, have been found through research to reduce pain, anxiety and stiffness associated with fibromyalgia.
A new study shows that a health care program that included massage therapy, ischemic pressure on the 18 tender points, aerobic exercise and thermal therapy resulted in "significant" improvement in overall health perception, social functioning, grip strength and a walking test among fibromyalgia patients.