This document provides an overview of fibromyalgia, including diagnostic criteria, treatment options, and recent research findings. It discusses how fibromyalgia affects 100 million Americans and causes chronic widespread pain. Treatment options include both conventional medications like antidepressants and anticonvulsants, as well as natural remedies like herbal treatments, massage therapy, and acupuncture. Recent studies found that marijuana may help relieve fibromyalgia symptoms and that a brain imaging study of Lyrica showed it decreases connectivity in brain regions associated with pain processing. The document also discusses the importance of diet and lifestyle changes in managing fibromyalgia symptoms.

1. A Look at an Invisible Disease
Fibromyalgia
May 20, 2012

2. Fibromyalgia is a small part of the big pain management issue.
100 million American suffer with chronic pain.
http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=13172&page=1
Criteria for Diagnosis:
Women Men
1. Pain and symptoms over the past week, based on the
total of:
Number of painful areas out of 19 parts of the body
Plus level of severity of these symptoms:
• Fatigue
• Waking unrefreshed
• Cognitive (memory or thought) problems
Plus number of other general physical symptoms
20%
2. Symptoms lasting at least three months at a similar level
3. No other health problem that would explain the pain
and other symptoms
Currently there is no cure but the symptoms can be
treated
Source: American College of Rheumatology, 2010
80%
http://www.rheumatology.org/practice/clinical/patients/
diseases_and_conditions/fibromyalgia.asp
An overview for a newly diagnosed patient from NFA.
Data from: http://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/basics/fibromyalgia.htm

3. What are the choices for treatment?
After a guessing game of prescription medications many fibro patients skip on the
meds and turn to non-medicinal treatments like exercise and natural remedies.
Options Further Options
Limited Availability Options
Cannabis-based medicines like Idrasil could be helpful
Conventional Treatment Natural Treatments
for sufferers of Fibromyalgia, based on available science,
Ethan Russo, MD.
Anticonvulsants Herbal Remedies
Pain Medications Massage Therapy
Muscle Relaxants Acupuncture
Anti-depressants Meditation or Controlled Breathing
http://www.myfibro.com/fibromyalgia- http://www.myfibro.com/fibromyalgia-
medication natural

4. You are what you eat...
Dr.Axe recommends a change of diet to insure
that the immune system is reaching it’s fullest
potential. He even says that by eliminating
toxins reverses auto-immune diseases like
fibromyalgia.
The five targets of the diet are:
1. Decreases Inflammation
2. Alkalizes body
3. Lowers blood glucose
4. Eliminates Toxins
5. Optimum Nutrients
For details on the healing diet go to : http://www.draxe.com/healing-diet/

5. The Spoon Theory
This is Christine Miserandino’s
personal story and analogy of what it
is like to live with sickness or
disability.
“How do I answer a question I never was able to answer for myself? How do I explain
every detail of every day being effected, and give the emotions a sick person goes through
with clarity.”-Christine Miserandino
http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com/articles/written-by-christine/the-spoon-theory-written-by-christine-miserandino/
Follow this link to listen to the spoon theory from the writer herself Christine Miserandino:
http://youtu.be/jn5IBsm49Rk

6. Latest News on Treatments
✤ Pfizer Inc. announced results of an exploratory study to provide
insite on how the drug Lyrica works on the brain of fibromyalgia
patients. Int he study the drug decreases the connectivity between
various parts of the brain involved with pain receptors. The most
common side effect was dizziness. http://www.nasdaq.com/article/pfizer-reports-results-of-studies-on-lyrica-capsules-cv---
quick-facts-20120518-00208
✤ In other news, researchers concluded that some fibromyalgia
symptoms are relieved with oral and inhaled medical marijuana.
They say this warrants further studies on the usefullness of
cannabinoids in Fibromyalgia. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3080871/?tool=pubmed
✤

7. For more information on Invisible
diseases check out the following
✤ Invisible Diseases
✤ Norml and Fibromyalgia
✤ Science Daily on Fibromyalgia
Slides by Joy Cruz