A comprehensive guide on chronic pain, its causes, symptoms, and effective management strategies to improve your quality of life.
When you think of arthritis, you might think of creaky knees or painful, swollen fingers. But if your neck is feeling stiff or you have pain when you turn your head, this neck pain may be caused by arthritis too. Like the rest of the body, the disks and joints in the neck degenerate due wear and tear. Osteoarthritis of the neck includes these changes that happen over time or because of an injury. Most…
When you have arthritis, buttoning a shirt or fastening a clasp can be a pain in the butt. So is folding laundry with achy joints, blow drying your hair, or even signing paperwork. But then there’s actual pain that can occur in your buttocks — and it may actually be caused by arthritis. The buttock is a large area, with many different structures within it, explains Claudette Lajam, MD, orthopedic surgeon with NYU Langone in…
Fibromyalgia is by any measure a complex syndrome. As I have written (and continue to write) the many articles in the website, I work to answer any question that you might have, and I feel confident that the answers are here. Some of these are also answered on the Facebook postings, in videos, in the blog or informational graphics we provide. We still have more to cover and convey, so I thank you for being…
First, it is important to know that fibromyalgia is characterized by wide-spread muscle pain and specific tender areas of the body. However, it doesn’t stop there, because fibromyalgia affects multiple systems of the body, including the nervous system, endocrine system, and the immune system. The brain and GI tract are often involved as well. One of the hallmarks of fibromyalgia is a dysfunction in the Central Nervous System. This dysfunction can cause a fibro body…
Yup, I’m coming out today! Not about my sexuality, but my health. I want to tell everyone that….. I have a chronic illness. I have Fibromyalgia. Maybe you’re thinking, “yeah- ok, so do I –welcome to the club”; or maybe you’re thinking “what in the heck is Fibromyalgia?”. Well, for me to come out and say this -is a very big deal. Especially since I was diagnosed in 2014 (Four years ago!). I have pretty much been…
Grab a cup of coffee or tea and get ready because it is about to get REAL! I have my favorite coffee in my favorite cup and I’m ready to talk about Fibromyalgia and the effects it has on our relationships. My Story On Relationships: I don’t know how many times I have said to family members, “It’s not you, it’s me and I’m sorry for snapping.” This is especially true of my nine-year-old. I…
Most of the time, I would consider myself a private person. I don’t tend to put my personal business out for the entire world to see. However, since my chronic illness has taken my life hostage, I have found the courage to seek support in those around me. Except I’m not quite brave enough to share this with all my co-workers and really, I shouldn’t. Instead, for therapeutic reasons I wrote a list for me…
I look into the mirror and I wonderWho are you now?I remember who you used to beAre you still the same? I look into the mirror and I wonderDo you still want the same things?I remember what you used to wantAre you still the same? I look into the mirror and I wonderAre you still motivated and ambitious?I remember that you used to beAre you still the same? I look into the mirror and I…
When you have Fibromyalgia it’s almost like the quest for Dr. Right is literally a rite of passage. So many of us “Spoonies” have been frustrated by the lack of knowledge and often kindness we experience at physician visits. I am not immune to this scenario; this actually has been a heart-breaking experience. Don’t worry though; I think it has a happy ending. My Story I was diagnosed in 2014 by a physician whose middle…
Parenting is for sure the hardest job on the planet! Add a chronic pain illness like Fibromyalgia to the mix and you have a possible disaster just waiting to happen. I have been a mother for 22 years; now you might think that is a long time, but I still feel like I don’t know what I am doing. This article is to help us both feel a little better about ourselves and let go…