Raise awareness about Fibromyalgia by understanding its symptoms, impact, and the importance of support for those living with this chronic condition.
Living with fibromyalgia can make every day a challenge. Chronic pain and severe exhaustion are the two most common symptoms. However, people who suffer from the condition often experience other symptoms, like depression, headaches, memory loss, sleep disturbances, irritable bowel syndrome, and more. These can make it very difficult to go to work every day, which leaves many people wondering, “Is fibromyalgia a disability?” Depending on the situation, it can be, but it comes with…
The surface of the body, usually on the back and neck. Here’s what you should know about this technique and what others have said about its use in pain management. What is gua sha? Gua sha (pronounced gwah sah) is a traditional east Asian healing technique – also known as cao gio, coining, scraping, and spooning. It uses friction and scraping on the back to treat numerous conditions. It may help with everything from pain and…
Fibromyalgia is a set of symptoms characterized by widespread pain, but the disorder brings with it a signature symptom known as fibro fog. Fibro fog affects cognitive function, leading to feelings of exhaustion and mental cloudiness, even after a full night’s sleep. Researchers still aren’t sure about the causes or biological underpinnings of fibromyalgia itself, let alone one of its symptoms, but fibro fog is nevertheless a very real problem experienced with the disease. Here’s what you…
Self-affirmation is the practice of expressing positivity about yourself. It can be stated aloud, said in your head, or written down. While some may scoff or assume that it’s pointless, science is proving that self-affirmation and positive thinking can have measurably positive effects on people. What are the benefits of positive thinking? So far, the clearest benefit to self-affirmation is its ability to encourage changes in health behavior. When you’re told by a physician (or…
Notoriously difficult to diagnose, fibromyalgia causes very real pain to those affected by it despite remaining a mystery in many other ways. A musculoskeletal disorder, it’s characterized by a lowered pain threshold and extra sensitivity to situations that would cause an unaffected person no pain at all. Fibromyalgia research is constantly looking for emerging therapies that could help a patient reduce their pain. Here’s three of the latest. Fibromyalgia research tackles causes Although fibromyalgia affects…
Nearly one in every two people in the United States has a chronic illness, and of the people who have a chronic illness, 96% have an invisible illness. Many organizations have been making efforts to increase awareness of invisible illnesses. This month, there are several observances for different invisible illnesses, one of which is Fibromyalgia Awareness Day. Fibromyalgia Awareness Day is May 12th Fibromyalgia can be a devastating disease, with potential symptoms including widespread pain,…
When it comes to the topic of Fibromyalgia and exercise, there is an abundance of research showing exercise to be extremely beneficial when it comes to managing pain. However, for many with Fibromyalgia, exercise may seem completely counterproductive. After all, you really don’t need to look very far to find people who have tried to exercise but have then experienced one of the biggest pain flare-ups of their life, as a direct result of exercising.…
Every time Jaime Sanders visits an urgent care clinic, she makes sure she brings the three-ring binder that details her comprehensive medical care plan, including lists of medications, allergies and records of past doctors’ visits. Sanders knows she’s never guaranteed to find doctors who will take her migraine pain seriously and carries the binder as proof of her diagnosis. Still, Sanders remembers how one doctor she saw regularly groaned and said, “Oh, it’s the binder,”…
When Karen Finney went into the hospital for brain surgery, she was well aware of the gender pain gap: women in pain are taken and treated less seriously than men in pain. Women of color are affected even more severely, and as a Black woman, Finney knew the hill to relief would be even steeper to climb. When she woke up after surgery to remove her brain tumor, she was in excruciating pain. She was…
Whether you live in a bustling metropolis or a quiet rural area, chances are you’ve been touched by the opioid epidemic in some way—or you will be. While many people can safely use prescription opioids, others end up addicted to them. In fact, most people who end up using heroin (an illegal opioid) started by using prescription opioids. Click Here to Visit the Store and find Much More…. Women are more apt than men to…