Today there is still an ongoing debate about the validity of Fibromyalgia as a legitimate diagnosis.  In the medical community, sides have been drawn over whether fibromyalgia is a genuine syndrome or a catchall diagnosis based on very vague clinical criteria.  “Despite being recognized as a diagnosable disease by the American College of Rheumatology, the Food and Drug Administration and most insurers, fibromyalgia has not completely shed the stigma of being dismissed as ‘psychosomatic’ by some in the medical establishment.” noted the Sacramento Bee in a May 31, 2009 article on patients not being taken seriously by their doctors.

Fibromyalgia is a condition involving widespread chronic pain which is often severe.  To be diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a patient must have widespread pain for three months or more, and must have tenderness at 11 or more of 18 specific points on the body.  Ninety percent of patients are women, and about 3.5% of the female population suffers from the condition. 

There is no reliable objective diagnosis instrument available, which results in more problems for those experiencing with fibromyalgia. There are no objective laboratory tests or imaging studies that can confirm the presence of fibromyalgia. Combined with the array of conditions many patients experience that may lead doctors in different directions, this can result in a long delay after the onset of symptoms before a proper diagnosis is made. Some patients are shipped from doctor to doctor for years (all the time suffering with the untreated symptoms) before being diagnosed with fibromyalgia.

I’ve worked with many patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia and most of them were treated as hypochondriacs, drug seekers, addicts, or “hysterical/histrionic.”  There are also many different thoughts about how to treat this condition.  One debate is opiates versus non-opiates.  I would recommend people not seek out opiates as many of the symptoms don’t really get managed with this type of medication. 

Also, there are many other research-based nonpharmacological (non medication) interventions that have shown great results in improved quality of life and decreased pain symptoms without any side effects; e.g., acupuncture, physical therapy, hydrotherapy, exercise, and Yoga just to name a few.  Other research shows that psychotherapy, especially cognitive behavioral therapy, is also an important part of a multi-pronged treatment plan that can lead to more positive treatment outcomes.

To learn about effective relapse prevention for chemically dependent people undergoing chronic pain management please check my article Relapse Prevention and Chronic Pain Management that you can download for free on our Article page.

You can learn about the Addiction-Free Pain Management® System at our website www.addiction-free.com. If you are working with people undergoing chronic pain management and want to learn how to develop a plan for managing their chronic pain and coexisting psychological disorders; including depression, addiction and other coexisting psychological disorders effectively; please consider my book Managing Pain and Coexisting Disorders: Using the Addiction-Free Pain Management® System. To purchase this book please Click Here.

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