Here’s a quick 4-minute video segment from the syndicated television show The Doctors on fibromyalgia that may be helpful if you think you have the condition, if you’re having trouble explaining fibromyalgia to your friends and loved ones, or if you’re just curious about fibromyalgia in general.
The segment features Dr. Stork interviewing Dr. Freda Lewis-Hall, the chief medical officer at Pfizer, and has a ton of good info on the disease. They discuss the invisible nature of the condition, and the way it’s often confused with or concurrent with other diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and Lupus which can make it difficult to diagnose.
Perhaps the most useful part of the video comes in the discussion of the 18 tender points of pain, complete with a diagram showing where they are on the body. Dr. Lewis-Hall points out that criteria for diagnosing the fibromyalgia include experience pain for longer than three months (i.e. the pain is chronic), tenderness to the touch, and emotional and behavior changes. A lot of fibromyalgia patients experience what is known as fibro fog, which can lead to confusion, an inability to think straight, and forgetfulness.
A doctor may also utilize a questionnaire about common fibro symptoms. If a patient answers yes to a majority of the questions, it may help with the diagnosis.
We’re glad that The Doctors is featuring fibromyalgia. Even though at least 5 million adults in the United States are believed to have the disease, it’s still very misunderstood. Every bit of awareness helps.
There also is some really good information at Dr. Lewis-Hall’s website, gethealthystayhealthy.com. This article on fibromyalgia is particularly helpful.
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