subject: Fibromyalgia Myths [print this page] Fibromyalgia myths are about as ubiquitous as fibromyalgia symptoms themselves. There are so many unknowns in fibromyalgia, how can one tell "fibromyalgia facts" from fiction? Here's a simple list of fibromyalgia myths, with the facts to distinguish between what is true, and what's false.
Right now In America there are more than 6 million people of all ages suffering from fibromyalgia. In essence, two out of every 100 Americans you meet has it. 80% to 90% of them are women, which is why some call this a "women's disease".
Research also shows that when diagnosed with this disease, there is a strong likelihood that the person has a family member that has also been diagnosed with it. This denotes that there may be genetic factors in fibromyalgia.
Fibromyalgia is a familiar word today. Television and magazine advertisements flood our airwaves and glossy pages, heightening public awareness. Some promise cures, while others just proclaim aid in alleviating certain symptoms. Well, fourteen years ago, this was certainly not the case.
the director of the National Databank for Rheumatic Diseases and the lead author of the 1990 paper that first defined the diagnostic guidelines for fibromyalgia, says he has become cynical and discouraged about the diagnosis. He now considers the condition a physical response to stress, depression, and economic and social anxiety.
Even after numerous tests with your doctor, do they say "we can't find anything wrong?" You are not alone. Six million Americans suffer from the effects of fibromyalgia. But the sad fact is most of them have been told they're crazy, lazy, or just depressed.
The name fibromyalgia, introduced by Muhammad Yunus MD and his colleagues in 1981, literally means pain in the muscles and tissue. No ethnic group seems any more likely to have fibromyalgia;however women develop it approximately 8 times more often than do men. While the medical community does not yet understand the pathology underlying fibromyalgia, more and more information about this condition is becoming known.
The second myth of this affliction is that you can medicate it away. I have seen literally hundreds of women who were medicated into oblivion, to the point where they appeared drunk. The main problem was that they still felt the pain, even though they were full of pain pills and muscle relaxers. There is no silver bullet, no magic pill to fix this problem.
In fact, many of the current health recommendations are causing an increase in health problems. Several leading health researchers point to the fact that these recommendations are often driven by certain industries who have vested interests; namely profits, at stake.
As a former student of natural therapies, and having now been involved in the health & fitness industry for over 14 years, it is my intention to shed some light on 10 of the most common health myths - as controversial as they may be!
