Friday, November 28, 2014

Five Safety Tips for the Holidays for Persons Living with Fibromyalgia and Myofascial Pain Syndrome by Celeste Cooper




Patients with fibromyalgia and/or chronic myofascial pain from myofascial trigger points (MPS) are subject to a loss of ability to know where our limbs are in space in relationship to our body, proprioception. (There will be more on proprioception later.) This puts us at risk for soft tissue injury, falls, and even fractures. Prevention is worth a pound of cure. Following are five tips to minimize risk of injury over the holidays.


  1. Don’t create clutter. Our home décor is familiar to us, yet we still find ourselves walking into things. Imagine what can happen when we add more to the mix. Instead of adding Christmas trees, Menorahs, Kwanzaa candles, decorative statues, gifts, etc., exchange them for something occupying that space. Place items on surfaces well away from the edge, because if it falls, we can too. (We all know what it’s like to do a juggling act trying to prevent an egg or favorite souvenir from breaking.) Accidents do happen despite the best plans. Let the items break instead of your hip. 
  2. Don’t overtax yourself. When preparing food, bring your work area to you. Work at a table and prepare as much as you can in small increments ahead of time. Sit in a stable chair with arms. Use large grip utensils to help avoid the "droppsies." When we are off balance, we can fall out of a chair. 
  3. Do a quick assessment of the environment when visiting others. Be aware of the number of people in your space. Gatherings of celebration often include crowded rooms and little ones under feet. Lighting may be insufficient because of a subtle ambiance, decorative throw rugs may be present, and footpaths may be cluttered with decorations that wouldn't normally be there. Find your place and stay put as much as possible.
  4. Ask for help. Celebrations usually include food. Carrying a plate or drink can divert our attention. We need to act defensively, because we cannot predicts others' behaviors, especially when alcohol is involved. 
  5. Beware of what you wear. Holiday clothing may be something you wear once a year. What we wear can be restrictive to our normal movement and gait. Ill fitting clothing, fancy shoes, not wearing glasses, etc. are all things that can put us at risk. 


Practicality is especially important when dealing with the proprioception and balance problems associated with fibromyalgia and myofascial pain syndrome. Make a plan so you can enjoy a safe holiday season.


Blogs to watch for:

Part I – Proprioception: Are you a bull in the china cabinet? Is it fibro or myofascial pain syndrome? By Celeste Cooper

Part II – Proprioception in FM and MPS: What can we do? By Celeste Cooper


~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~

"Adversity is only an obstacle if we fail to see opportunity."  
Celeste Cooper, RN



All answers and blogs are based on the author's opinions and writing and are not meant to replace medical advice.  



Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Winter Devotions, Broken Body, Wounded Spirit: Balancing the SeeSaw of Chronic Pain (a series). See what others say, I am inspired. By Celeste Cooper


12-22-13

Broken Body, Wounded Spirit: Balancing the See-Saw of Chronic Pain
WINTER DEVOTIONS



Kindle version live http://amazon.com/dp/B00HAVXLYO/
Amazon Canada Kindle http://amazon.ca//dp/0615924050


Sometimes we feel alone and isolated, living with chronic pain can do that to us. We forget there are people who support us, believe us, and want the best for us.


From "Inside the Cover"

“This lovely book of devotions is rich with insight and practical suggestions for any one with chronic pain. It is filled with inspirational and healing words dealing with topics from nutrition, exercise, and sleep to relating successfully to your doctor.”

Susan E. Opper, MD, Medical Director of Saint Luke’s Pain Management Services, Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City.


“I love the very idea of 'Winter Devotions'. The struggle of living with chronic pain is compounded for many by the winter months when it is cold, damp, and often gloomy. Bones ache, joints hurts, and the spirit sometimes become depressed. This wonderful book provides a tool to help with those issues. The quotes, photography, and motivation of authors Celeste Cooper and Jeff Miller all bring much needed hope and relief.”

Myra J. Christopher, Kathleen M. Foley Chair in Pain and Palliative Care at the Center for Practical Bioethics practicalbioethics.org/, and Principal Investigator of the Pain Action Alliance to Implement a National Strategy, PAINSproject.org/.


“Chronic pain is a tyrant that seeks to control every aspect of a person's life—body, mind, and spirit. Broken Body, Wounded Spirit offers pain sufferers’ guidance in fending off the tyrant and regaining control over their lives. Celeste and Jeff do a beautiful job of blending practical suggestions, inspirational quotes, and delightful seasonal images into daily nuggets of wisdom that uplift and fortify the body, mind, and spirit.”

Karen Lee Richards, Fibromyalgia Editor, ProHealth, prohealth.com/, and Chronic Pain Health Guide, HealthCentral, healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/.


“Broken Body, Wounded Spirit is a warm and thoughtful prescription to honor oneself in the face of challenge, not just chronic pain. It is perfectly sprinkled with invaluable wisdom to address every aspect of wellbeing. This is a laugh out loud toolkit with humorous sayings, photos and lessons for lifestyle change bundled into a special 90-day guide to celebrate health.”

Lisa Marianni, RN, MBA, Consultant and previous Senior Director, Sharecare Provider Solutions in Atlanta, GA


“Dealing with chronic pain can make us feel robbed of many choices. We can succumb to ‘woe is me’ or we can work on self-management skills. This book offers tips and tools which can be utilized to enable us to ‘participate in life’ rather than ‘watch it go by’ from the sidelines. What will you choose?”

Orvie Prewitt, Program Coordinator – Kansas City Regional Arthritis Center, and a person living with chronic pain.


“As welcome as a spring breeze, this inspiring book series gently encourages fresh perspectives for living well with chronic pain or illness. Whether pondering one day at a time or dancing between the pages, the insightful prose leads the reader to feelings of peaceful dignity. A unique celebration of living harmoniously with the seasons of the year while rejuvenating ourselves physically and spiritually. Thanks Celeste for sharing your sparkling love for life!”

Jan Favero Chambers, President/Founder of the National Fibromyalgia & Chronic Pain Association, fmcpaware.org. "Your partner in tackling fibromyalgia and chronic pain."


"Anyone with chronic pain can and will be helped by reading and using this book as a tool. It is the perfect blend of inspiration and helpful information to guide people on their pain journey, in fact, as a person with pain; I have learned some important techniques that have helped me."

Paul Gileno, Founder/President, US Pain Foundation Inc. uspainfoundation.org.


You can read what our readers have to say in the Most Helpful Customer Reviews. http://www.amazon.com/dp/0615924050


There will be a PROMOTIONAL OFFER coming for the winter season. For all those who choose to take advantage of it, we ask our readers if the will take a moment write a few words about their experience with our books. Just scroll down the Amazon page to customer reviews, and hit the:  "Write a Customer Review" button or if you purchased a paperback version on Barnes and Noble, scroll down to Customer Reviews and be the first to write a review, here.

As authors, your support is important to us; it is what motivates us to keep writing.


Watch for it!



Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Resources for the Kansas City Nursing News guest column- ”FIBROMYALGIANESS”— The Facts and the Effects of Fibromyalgia Diagnostic Criteria by Celeste Cooper


Following are the resources pursuant to a guest column that will appear in the Kansas City Nursing News.

”FIBROMYALGIANESS”— The Facts and the Effects of Fibromyalgia Diagnostic Criteria by Celeste Cooper

Resources:

Bennett R, et al. Criteria for the diagnosis of fibromyalgia: Validation of the modified 2010 preliminary ACR criteria and the development of alternative criteria. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2014 Feb 4. doi: 10.1002/acr.22301. [Epub ahead of print][Published 2014 Sept].

Dr. Sean Mackey, assistant professor of anesthesia at the Stanford University Medical Center, “An Update on Fibromyalgia.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtc2JARVpPw&feature=em-subs_digest-vrecs  (accessed 10-30-2014).

Mary Ann Moon, “ACR 2010 criteria for fibromyalgia critiqued.” Family Practice News Digital Network. http://www.familypracticenews.com/news/journals/single-article/acr-2010-criteria-for-fibromyalgia-critiqued/31131c4db6bf3642dd8748c0ad23f08b.html (accessed, 10-29-2014).

Frederick Wolfe. Fibromyalgianess. Arthritis Care and Research. DOI: 10.1002/art.24553. online: 28 MAY 2009. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/art.24553/full

Wolfe F, et al. The American College of Rheumatology Preliminary Diagnostic Criteria for Fibromyalgia and Measurement of Symptom Severity. Arthritis Care & Research, Vol. 62, No. 5, May 2010, pp 600–610. DOI 10.1002/acr.20140

Wolfe F, et al. Fibromyalgia prevalence, somatic symptom reporting, and the dimensionality of polysymptomatic distress: Results from a survey of the general population. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken ). 2013 Feb 19. doi: 10.1002/acr.21931. [Epub ahead of print]

Wolfe F, et al. Fibromyalgia criteria and severity scales for clinical and epidemiological studies: a modification of the ACR Preliminary Diagnostic Criteria for Fibromyalgia. J Rheumatol. 2011 Jun;38(6):1113-22. doi: 10.3899/jrheum.100594. Epub 2011 Feb 1.


Wednesday, November 5, 2014

To whom it may concern—American College of Rheumatology… Criteria for Diagnosing Fibromyalgia, by Celeste Cooper


Following is a letter I wrote to the American College of Rheumatology, as promised in my blog

Fibromyalgianess—Patient Harm: 
The Facts and the Effects of Fibromyalgia Diagnostic Criteria

You can find the blog/article HERE
On Sharecare HERE.


Praeludium - Prelude


Having a well-researched, unbiased tool for diagnosing fibromyalgia is imperative to change the way fibromyalgia is judged and treated physically, emotionally, and socially. The correct diagnosis of patients participating in clinical trials is crucial to study results and the ability to secure further research funding. The right research can make a difference in the lives of an estimated five million adult Americans (NIAMS) and of hundreds of millions of fibromyalgia patients worldwide.



November 3, 2014

American College of Rheumatology
acr@rheumatology.org
arhp@rheumatology.org
foundation@rheumatology.org

Marian T. Hannan Editor, Arthritis Care & Research DSc, MPH
hannan@hsl.harvard.edu

To whom it may concern:

I am an RN and pain advocate as part of the Pain Action Alliance to Implement a National Strategy (http://PainsProject.org). I once wrote continuing education programs for the Missouri State Board of Nursing, and I practiced as a legal nurse consultant holding a degree in paralegal studies. I am presently a fibromyalgia expert on Sharecare.com, and I am a published author of several recognized chronic pain self-help books. I am a guest columnist for Kansas City Nursing News. I am also a person living with chronic pain.

I sit in angst because the healthcare industry, of which I have spent most of my adult life, is entertaining the demeaning label of “fibromyalgianess.” I ask, how are we ever to change the way pain is perceived, judged, and treated as set forth in the Institute of Medicine Report, “Relieving Pain in America” if such disingenuous labeling gains general acceptance? This term was coined by Dr. Frederick Wolfe et al. As I am very concerned regarding Dr. Wolfe’s capricious attitude in his published papers on fibromyalgia, I would like to to know if the ACR has formally adopted the Wolf 2010 criteria for diagnosing fibromyalgia.

If we are to move to a biopsychosocial model of healthcare delivery, one cannot use labels that harm patients and their ability to cope. When we enter a physician’s office with hope and leave in tears, our needs are hijacked. Such neglect delays appropriate treatment and assessment of comorbid conditions.

I await a timely response to my request from the American College of Rheumatology on the formal acceptance of the Wolfe , et al. 2010 criteria. Thank you for your time and your consideration in the effort to promote the unbiased reporting of rheumatology research studies.

Sincerely, Celeste Cooper, RN, BSN, Diploma in Paralegal Studies
EMail: Celeste@TheseThree.com
Website: http://TheseThree.com Update http://CelesteCooper.com (April 2015)


cc:

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
National Institute of Health – Pain Consortium
CDC, Office of Science Quality
Jan Chambers, President, National Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain Association
Karen Lee Richards, Fibromyalgia Editor, Pro Health, and Chronic Pain Health Guide, Health Central (Co-Founder National Fibromyalgia Association)
Robert Twillman, PhD, American Academy of Pain Management
Kim Kimminau, PhD, Associate Professor; Director, Center for Community Health Improvement, Kansas University School of Medicine (KUMC)
Myra J. Christopher, Kathleen M. Foley Chair in Pain and Palliative Care at the Center for Practical Bioethics and Principal Investigator of the Pain Action Alliance to Implement a National Strategy (PAINSproject.org)
Cindy Leyland, Project Director, Pain Action Alliance to Implement a National Strategy (PAINSproject.org).
Pat Anson, National Pain Report
American Chronic Pain Association
National Patient Advocate Foundation
The State Pain Policy Advocacy Network
US Pain Foundation


Monday, November 3, 2014

”FIBROMYALGIANESS”—Patient Harm: The Facts and the Effects of Fibromyalgia Diagnostic Criteria by Celeste Cooper


Someone recently shared a comment made by her physician at Duke University that horrified me. I was appalled that a physician would make such a statement, so I want to share my reaction with you. It goes like this…


Duke University physician reportedly said:
"You do know that fibromyalgia is just a word we use 
to talk about psycho-somatic pain, don't you?"


Could it be she read “The American College of Rheumatology Preliminary Diagnostic Criteria for Fibromyalgia and Measurement of Symptom Severity”? (Wolfe, 2014). In a letter to follow this blog, I will be looking into whether or not the American College of Rheumatology has approved the 2010 criteria. It appears they consider comorbid conditions of migraine and IBS (herethat are not considered in the Wolfe criteria as follows:”

“Of the binary variables, irritable bowel syndrome, abdominal pain, and headache had variable importance. However, they added no power to correct classification and we did not include them in the diagnostic criteria.” (Page 208, Wolfe, et al., 2010).

Could it be this Duke University physician is unaware of what others in the field have to say? See “ACR 2010 criteria for fibromyalgia critiqued by: Mary Ann Moon, Family Practice News Digital Network, here

Could it be that she did not see Dr. Sean Mackey’s lecture at Stanford University that I believe supports key elements in the 2013 Alternative Diagnostic Criteria? You can view it here.

This attitude toward fibromyalgia must be stopped in its tracks if we are to maintain forward momentum. There is a great deal of empirical evidence showing FM is biological. Yet, despite repeated research that the brain of the FM patient does not respond to painful stimulus in a normal way, (not only the emotional center, but also the center in the brain that specifically interprets pain), many practitioners, even those from Duke University, are ignorant. The 2010 Preliminary Proposed Diagnostic Criteria modified in 2011 set forth by Dr. Frederick Wolfe are endangering the many strides taken to understand fibromyalgia over the past 100+ years.

“[Fibromyalgia] has been known to exist for more than a hundred years. Symptoms of what we know today as FM were first described in the seventeen hundreds, and the disorder was first observed and documented by British surgeon William Balfour in 1816. In 1904 the same collection of symptoms was recognized by another British fibromyalgia pioneer, Sir William Gowers, who described chronic soft tissue syndromes as fibromyositis.” (Excerpt Integrative Therapies for Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Myofascial Pain: The Mind-Body Connection.)

http://www.dsm5.org/


We also have the new Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) from the American Psychiatric Association's (APA) to thank for what Dr. Wolfe calls FIBROMYALGIANESS. Marly Silverman and I wrote about, and predicted, this two years ago in a piece on the prospects of the DSM-5.     






I have been in collaboration with well-respected fibromyalgia expert Dr. Robert Bennett, and have written a blog explaining his well-researched diagnostic criteria, which DOES consider all aspects of fibromyalgia. He and his colleagues report their findings without bias. I hope you will read that blog here. Pay close attention to the example of the 2013 Alternate Fibromyalgia Criteria (2013 Alt FM Criteria) and the proven tools such as the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (see: http://fiqrinfo.ipage.com/). Following is an excerpt from that blog with my comments.

*1. “Fibromyalgia patients have a continuum of symptoms; a diagnosis based on a strict numerical cutoff is subject to error.” In other words, a physician or nurse practitioner should not be limited by a subjective questionnaire. They should rely on their abilities to physically assess a patient with hands-on exam to assess physical complaints, take a patient history, order and interpret test results, complete a physical exam, and apply their diagnostic skills. No practitioner should limit the scope of their abilities. Without these expert assessments, we would not know that the tender point count has not stringently met the 1990 ACR criteria.

*2. “The presence of another pain disorder or related symptoms does not rule out a diagnosis of fibromyalgia.” We know from the literature that fibromyalgia can and often does coexist with certain other disorders, such as those defined by the CDC. Dr. Wolfe's modification of his 2010 criteria suggests in point three under the description of the criteria above in order to diagnose fibromyalgia, “the patient does not have a disorder that would otherwise sufficiently explain the pain.

* 3. “A careful clinical evaluation is always required in order to identify any condition that could fully account for the patient’s symptoms and/or contribute to the severity of the symptoms.” A clinical evaluation includes the parameters mentioned above in *1. The Bennett investigators conclude that a patient’s symptoms should be investigated seriously and not be dismissed as poly-symptom somatic complaints as suggested by the Wolfe team of investigators. This is important because many of the symptoms fibromyalgia patients experience can be attributed to other treatable conditions that affects patient outcome.

I had to respond to the likes of the Duke University doctor, because she is not alone thanks to the likes of Dr. Wolfe who uses unapproved APA tools and handpicked databases for his research. I am not a scientist, nor a statistician, however I did conduct a study while in college, and I can tell you that doing an unbiased literature review is research 101. Choosing only literature that fits your hypothesis is flawed. Oddly enough, or not so oddly enough, I recently saw an article in a Physicians online journal “Healthcare Professionals Network” here that suggested Dr. Bennett endorsed the 2010 Wolfe Criteria carte blanche. In fact, the Bennett Alternative Criteria published in the September issue of Arthritis Care and Research, (Bennett, et al. 2014), includes a comparative analysis. Yet, this reporter made no mention that the 2013 Alternate Criteria outperformed the Wolfe, et al 2010 modified criteria in key areas. This partiality makes his report nothing short of propaganda.

Remember, if your physician is not helping you feel better physically, mentally, and emotionally, they have issues, not you! If they are not conducting a physical exam and considering common comorbid conditions to fibromyalgia, they are negligent. If you are harmed by their disregard for your complaints or inconsiderate statements, report them. (See the links on my website here.) Next time, record your visit. Plenty of chronically ill patients need to have counseling for dealing with their symptoms, but to need it because of a doctor that took an oath to do no harm is unacceptable.

postea: added after original blog post:

To whom it may concern—American College of Rheumatology… Criteria for Diagnosing Fibromyalgia, by Celeste Cooper


Resources:

Albrecht PJ, Hou Q, Argoff CE, Storey JR, Wymer JP, Rice FL. Excessive Peptidergic Sensory Innervation of Cutaneous Arteriole-Venule Shunts (AVS) in the Palmar Glabrous Skin of Fibromyalgia Patients: Implications for Widespread Deep Tissue Pain and Fatigue. Pain Med. 2013 May 20. doi: 10.1111/pme.12139. [Epub ahead of print]

Behm FG, Gavin IM, Karpenko O, Lindgren V, Gaitonde S, Gashkoff PA, Gillis BS. Unique immunologic patterns in fibromyalgia. BMC Clin Pathol. 2012 Dec 17;12(1):25. doi: 10.1186/1472-6890-12-25.
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6890/12/25

Bennett RM. Opinion on preliminary guidelines for the clinical diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia Practical Pain Management, July/August, 2010, Volume 10 (6) pages 76-79. 

Bennett R, Friend R, Marcus D, Bernstein C, Han BK, Yachoui R, Deodar A, Kaell A, Bonafede P, Chino A, Jones K. Criteria for the diagnosis of fibromyalgia: Validation of the modified 2010 preliminary ACR criteria and the development of alternative criteria. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2014 Feb 4. doi: 10.1002/acr.22301. [Epub ahead of print]

Buskila, D, Neumann, L, Alhoashle, A, and Abu-Shakra, M. “Fibromyalgia syndrome in men,” Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism 30, no. 1 (2000): 47–51.
Caro XJ, Winter EF. Evidence of abnormal epidermal nerve fiber density in fibromyalgia: Clinical and immunologic implications. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2014 Apr 9. doi: 10.1002/art.38662. [Epub ahead of print]

Castro-Sánchez AM, Matarán-Peñarrocha GA, López-Rodríguez MM, Lara-Palomo IC, Arendt-Nielsen L, Fernández-de-las-Peñas C. Gender differences in pain severity, disability, depression, and widespread pressure pain sensitivity in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome without comorbid conditions. Pain Med. 2012 Dec;13(12):1639-47. doi: 10.1111/j.1526-4637.2012.01523.x. Epub 2012 Nov 21.

Cook D. B., Lange G., Ciccone D. S., Liu W. C., Steffener J., and Natelson B. H. Functional imaging of pain in patients with primary fibromyalgia, Journal of Rheumatology, 31, no. 2 (2004): 364–78.

Cooper, C and Miller, J. (2010). Integrative Therapies for Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Myofascial Pain: The Mind-Body Connection. Healing Arts Press: Vermont

Craggs JG, Staud R, Robinson ME, Perlstein WM, Price DD.Effective connectivity among brain regions associated with slow temporal summation of C-fiber-evoked pain in fibromyalgia patients and healthy controls. J Pain. 2012 Apr;13(4):390-400.

Flodin P1, Martinsen S, Löfgren M, Bileviciute-Ljungar I, Kosek E, Fransson P. Fibromyalgia Is Associated with Decreased Connectivity Between Pain- and Sensorimotor Brain Areas. Brain Connect. 2014 Aug 7. [Epub ahead of print]

Gonzalez B, Baptista TM, Branco JC, Ferreira AS.Fibromyalgia: antecedent life events, disability, and causal attribution. Psychol Health Med. 2013 Jan 17. [Epub ahead of print]

Kosmidis ML1, Koutsogeorgopoulou L1, Alexopoulos H1, Mamali I1, Vlachoyiannopoulos PG1, Voulgarelis M1, Moutsopoulos HM1, Tzioufas AG1, Dalakas MC2. Reduction of Intraepidermal Nerve Fiber Density (IENFD) in the skin biopsies of patients with fibromyalgia: A controlled study.

Light KC, White AT, Tadler S, Iacob E, Light AR. Genetics and Gene Expression Involving Stress and Distress Pathways in Fibromyalgia with and without Comorbid Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.  Pain Res Treat. 2012;2012:427869. Epub 2011 Sep 29.

Staud R, Craggs JG, Perlstein WM, Robinson ME, and. Price DD, “Brain activity associated with slow temporal summation of C-fiber evoked pain in fibromyalgia patients and healthy controls,” European Journal of Pain (March 2008).

Dr. Sean Mackey, assistant professor of anesthesia at the Stanford University Medical Center, “An Update on Fibromyalgia.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtc2JARVpPw&feature=em-subs_digest-vrecs  (accessed 10-30-2014).

Mary Ann Moon, “ACR 2010 criteria for fibromyalgia critiqued.” Family Practice News Digital Network.http://www.familypracticenews.com/news/journals/single-article/acr-2010-criteria-for-fibromyalgia-critiqued/31131c4db6bf3642dd8748c0ad23f08b.html (accessed, 10-29-2014).

Frederick Wolfe. Fibromyalgianess. Arthritis Care and Research. DOI: 10.1002/art.24553 Article first published online: 28 MAY 2009. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/art.24553/full

Fibromyalgia: an INTERVIEW with Dr Frederick Wolfe, University of Kansas School of Medicine. Medical Net News. 

Frederick Wolfe, Daniel J. Clauw, Mary-Ann Fitzcharles,  Don L. Goldenberg, Robert S. Katz, Philip  Mease, Anthony S. Russell, I. Jon Russell, John  B. Winfiled, and Muhammad B. Yunus. The American College of Rheumatology Preliminary Diagnostic Criteria for Fibromyalgia and Measurement of Symptom Severity. Arthritis Care & Research, Vol. 62, No. 5, May 2010, pp 600–610. DOI 10.1002/acr.20140

Wolfe F, Brähler E, Hinz A, Häuser W. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken).Fibromyalgia prevalence, somatic symptom reporting, and the dimensionality of polysymptomatic distress: Results from a survey of the general population. 2013 Feb 19. doi: 10.1002/acr.21931. [Epub ahead of print]

Wolfe F, Clauw DJ, Fitzcharles MA, Goldenberg DL, Häuser W, Katz RS, Mease P, Russell AS, Russell IJ, Winfield JB. Fibromyalgia criteria and severity scales for clinical and epidemiological studies: a modification of the ACR Preliminary Diagnostic Criteria for Fibromyalgia. J Rheumatol. 2011 Jun;38(6):1113-22. doi: 10.3899/jrheum.100594. Epub 2011 Feb 1.


~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~
Update as of April 2015

"Adversity is only an obstacle if we fail to see opportunity."  
Celeste Cooper, RN
Author—Patient—Health Central Chronic Pain Pro Advocate
New Website
Celeste’s Website: http://CelesteCooper.com

Learn more about what you can do to help your body function to its potential in the books you can find here on Celeste's  blog. Subscribe to posts by using the information in the upper right hand corner or use the share buttons to share with others.


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