An in-depth guide on Fibromyalgia, covering its symptoms, causes, treatments, and tips for managing this chronic condition effectively.
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,…
Living with chronic pain is not easy, and when it’s time to seek out a pain specialist who understands the intricacies of chronic pain and the options for treatment, your family physician is your first resource. Most pain clinics require a referral from that family physician in order for the pain clinic to accept you as a patient. Chronicillness.co Site of the United States is no exception. In order to receive award-winning medical treatment from…
Do you have a high pain tolerance? How do you know it’s higher than another patient? One of the most difficult aspects of pain management that our doctors deal with is an individual’s pain tolerance. The infamous one-to-ten pain scale is unscientific, and inaccurate when dealing with individuals who feel pain differently. What might be a two-to-one person might be an eight. Even when the patient explains to the pain doctor the amount of pain…
The term “fibromyalgia” may be relatively new, but the condition itself has been around for quite a while. After several name changes, a definite set of diagnostic parameters are finally established for fibromyalgia. History of fibromyalgia The first known mention of fibromyalgia was in the 1800s, but at the time it was simply called “muscular rheumatism.” When “muscular rheumatism” was first written about, doctors noted that it caused stiffness, aches, pains, tiredness, and difficulty speaking.…
Many of our United States pain patients love the outdoors, and the United States is a wonderful place to be over Memorial Day Weekend. Everyone in the valley heads north to escape the start of summer and relax with friends and family. However, if you can’t afford an RV, tent camping can be a seriously daunting aspect of the weekend. Getting outdoors and back into life is paramount for patients living with chronic pain. Breathing…
Pain management is difficult, and if you’ve got a chronic pain condition, it can sometimes feel impossible to find just the right balance of medications to control your pain. Sometimes, though, pain management isn’t about treating your pain at all. Things like getting a good night’s rest, finding stress relief, and treating mental illnesses may not technically be pain management, but they still might be able to provide you with a lot of relief. This…
As Dr. Siwek mentions in this week’s episode of the Pain Channel, April is Alcohol Awareness Month. When we think of alcohol awareness, the first things that pop into our minds are drunk driving, designated drivers, and sobriety tests, right? Popular culture has taught us to correlate drinking with driving consequences. But Alcohol Awareness Month is truly about the health consequences associated with alcoholism such as neurologic complications, vitamin deficiencies, liver disease, and much more.…
In the fight against lower back pain, many people and their doctors reach for the same weapons: common over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription medications. New research on commonly recommended and prescribed lower back pain medications has found that many may actually be virtually ineffective for treating lower back pain and that medication for lower back pain may actually do more harm than good. Over-the-counter medication for lower back pain Nsaids are a standard go-to medication for lower back pain,…
Living with fibromyalgia can be difficult and painful. When traditional treatments do not work, many patients turn to alternative therapies for pain relief. Chinese herbs and over-the-counter supplements have become popular in many patients’ efforts to relieve their pain. At Chronicillness.co Site, our pain management specialists recommend a comprehensive plan when treating the pain of fibromyalgia. 5-HTP (5-Hydroxytryptophan). This supplement is a building block of serotonin. Serotonin is a powerful brain chemical, and serotonin levels…
It’s been about a year since we became Pain Doctor and began sharing information with you about everything pain- and health-related. In that time, we’ve covered a lot of information, but we’ve tried to make sure that all of it is centered around the topics that you, as a health–conscious pain patient, might care about the most. It was tough, but we narrowed down a year’s worth of information into our top ten favorite posts…