People with Fibromyalgia suffer on many levels. They live with a chronic and painful, life-altering, multi-system disease that affects about 2% of the general U.S. population. For many years, they also suffered from widespread skepticism and debate about the disease itself. Was it real? Wasn’t it the same as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, which the media disparagingly called Yuppie Flu?
Thankfully, the uncertainty officially ended in 1990 when the American College of Rheumatology established criteria for its diagnosis. This was a positive step; however, appropriate treatment would remain unclear.
A good deal of research has emerged since then and a recent review of treatment protocols for Fibromyalgia showed that the best outcomes involved pharmacologic therapies in combination with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Exercise and patient education, part and parcel of a CBT approach, were also important.
Cognitive therapy strategies “help patients understand the effect that thoughts, beliefs, and expectations have on their symptoms.” It was also very important to use the strategies to help patients prioritize time to achieve balance in their daily lives.