Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Finding the Right Doc

Fibromyalgia: Getting the Right Doctors on Your Side

People who have fibromyalgia face more than just severe muscle pain, unrelenting fatigue, and disturbed sleep. Because there currently are no diagnostic tests for fibromyalgia, many patients also struggle with misdiagnoses, unsympathetic physicians, and ineffective treatments. But with up to 4 percent of the population now said to be suffering from this condition, researchers are working hard to get a better handle on fibromyalgia and how to treat it.

If you have fibromyalgia, you don't have to feel buffeted by fate or suffer in silence. Here are a few essential steps you can take to get control of your situation, to find the medical help you need, and to get some relief for your symptoms.

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Don't Lose Hope
Scientists are hard at work developing diagnostic tests for fibromyalgia and, according to Clauw, soon there may be specific tests that will help physicians determine which treatments will work best for a particular patient. In the meantime, your doctor can prescribe a multifaceted treatment program for you, including medication, exercise, stress reduction, and sleep strategies. "The pain and fibromyalgia fields are evolving very rapidly, and each month we know something new that helps us take better care of fibromyalgia patients," says Clauw. "It is important to know that there is hope."


The rest of the article here.

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