Photo By Marcy Sanchez | A newly formed support group for individuals diagnosed with fibromyalgia is available...... read more read more
Subscribe
Chronic widespread pain, over-sensitized response to pressure, depression, fatigue, and sleep disorders… the list is long for sufferers of fibromyalgia. What many don’t realize is that they don’t have to suffer alone.
WBAMC’s Interdisciplinary Pain Management Center (IPMC) has formed a support group for individuals diagnosed with fibromyalgia. The group sessions, Managing and Learning to Live with Fibromyalgia, offer patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia opportunities to connect, interact, and learn from each other's experience to help ease the pain and fatigue associated with the condition.
“Fibromyalgia is a bit different from other chronic pain conditions,” said Dr. Elizabeth Delgado-Torres, clinical psychologist, IPMC. “These individuals experience a constellation of symptoms, including issues with memory and/or cognitive problems, changes in mood, decreased energy levels, and irregular sleep patterns. Group members are able to relate with each other and thereby receive direct support from group members.”
While the support group is aimed at providing individuals a holistic approach to overcoming fibromyalgia’s impact on daily living through useful practices and adaptive coping, it also ensures continuity of care within William Beaumont Army Medical Center’s system of health.
One Fort Bliss Soldier, who wished to remain anonymous, suffered for years not knowing what caused the pain until a recent diagnosis of fibromyalgia.
“For a while I went to different doctors and specialists, but they had difficulty diagnosing what was wrong with me,” said the Soldier. “A lot of times, I started to feel like I was making it up, and it really bothered me because I knew the pain was real.”
“It is very difficult to come up with one clear definition of fibromyalgia that appropriately encompasses everybody. Every person suffering from fibromyalgia will have a unique combination and intensity of symptoms associated with their fibromyalgia clinical syndrome,” said Maj. Aaron Pumerantz, D.O., chief, Rheumatology, WBAMC. “Patients often don’t fit neatly into a diagnostic criteria box. There is no lab test or radiologic study that definitively diagnoses fibromyalgia. Often times the diagnosis emerges after ruling out autoimmune or chronic inflammatory diseases that have shared features of fibromyalgia.”
According to Pumerantz, common conditions may also coexist and exacerbate the symptoms of fibromyalgia, such as musculoskeletal injuries, migraines, and depression to name a few. In general, fibromyalgia is a clinical syndrome defined as chronic, widespread musculoskeletal pain associated with fatigue and memory problems, along with disturbances in mood and sleep.
The Soldier, who has also undergone acupuncture and electrotherapy to relieve pain symptoms, said the fibromyalgia group presented an opportunity to learn from other individuals who are suffering and see what helps them relieve pain and overcome fatigue.
“The group gave me the opportunity to see what others are going through. Fibromyalgia is something pretty new to me; I didn’t know it was so painful,” said the Soldier. “A lot of times I can’t even get up. I know in my mind I need to get up, but my body just won’t respond.”
Other symptoms can include chronic headaches, temporomandibular joint disorder, pelvic pain, restless leg syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, irritable bladder, anxiety, depression, and sensitivity to noise or temperature.
“There can be days, weeks, months, or possibly years when some fibromyalgia symptoms are barely detectable,” said Pumerantz. “The intensity of various symptoms can vary over time. Sometimes the fatigue may be worse than the pain, and vice versa.”
Since fibromyalgia can be difficult to treat, providers aim to manage contributing factors through patient education, self-management skills, and pharmacotherapy (when clinically indicated). Patient education and self-management skills, in particular, are further developed through group settings such as the IPMC fibromyalgia group.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about two percent of the United States population is diagnosed with fibromyalgia. That’s about 5 million individuals.
“What they’re experiencing with respect to their symptoms is real,” said Delgado-Torres. “Even if they already know relevant information about fibromyalgia and its management, the aim of group treatment within the IPMC is to encourage and motivate individuals to embrace self-empowerment practices so that they may better enjoy living life beyond the experience of pain.”
According to Delgado-Torres, self-empowerment is important to patients’ treatment outcome. Through group participation, individuals learn to focus on personal abilities rather than viewing fibromyalgia as a disability.
Pumerantz echoes the importance of self-empowerment. He encourages providers to validate the patient’s symptoms as real and emphasize self-management as critical for a meaningful improvement in symptoms.
A three-tiered approach is recommended for general practitioners managing fibromyalgia: increase restorative sleep; decrease psychosocial stressors (often with the help of behavioral health specialists to address anxiety, depression, and stress); and, implement a low impact exercise program. While treatment options and effectiveness vary for each individual, fibromyalgia sufferers are recommended to regularly exercise, with a “start low, go slow” mentality.
“We know that exercise is good for fibromyalgia. The fear of exercising gets addressed within the group sessions,” said Delgado-Torres. “If patients can overcome that fear, then they can start moving. That is something recommended by rheumatologists.”
“The group helps a lot. At the beginning, it was like there was no light at the end of the tunnel. The group helps patients see light; they see hope,” said the Soldier.
Other topics of discussion during group sessions include diet, communication of symptoms and concerns with both families and doctors, and continuation of their careers as Soldiers.
“A lot of conversations we have involve helping command understand how much pain a Soldier is going through,” said the Soldier. “Often, they may think Soldiers are just complaining, that they don’t want to do their job. But, in reality, the Soldier is experiencing a lot of pain.”
“Some Soldiers are fighting to stay in the Army and feel as though the group helps them cope with their symptoms,” said Delgado-Torres. “They don’t want the pain to be the consequence of going through a Medical Evaluation Board. They want to overcome it; they want to continue.”
After attending the group for a little over a month, the Soldier has learned many techniques for coping with and combating the symptoms of fibromyalgia, ranging from specific exercises to eating certain foods to managing pain.
“Others shouldn’t be afraid to speak out,” said the Soldier. “Some others have it a lot worse. To know that we can have hope and learn to cope with and minimize the pain is a blessing.”
In order to participate in the Managing and Learning to Live with Fibromyalgia group, individuals must be eligible beneficiaries with a confirmed diagnosis of fibromyalgia. For more information contact the IPMC at 742-3245.
| Date Taken: | 11.10.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 11.10.2016 14:24 |
| Story ID: | 214371 |
| Location: | FORT BLISS, TX, US |
| Web Views: | 510 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, WBAMC group helps manage fibromyalgia, by Marcy Sanchez, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT