Press Release Fibromyalgia International Awareness Day 12th May 2008

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Press Release Fibromyalgia International Awareness Day 12th May 2008
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Fibromyalgia is a painful, non-articular condition predominantly involving muscle; it is the most common cause of chronic, widespread musculoskeletal pain and affects between 2%-3% of the UK population.

Fibromyalgia Association UK will be holding a coffee morning at Portcullis House Westminster on 12th May to promote Fibromyalgia International Awareness Day.  Our aim is to make MPs aware of how desperate the situation is for so many fibromyalgia sufferers living in their constituencies.  We need to let MPs know of the day to day struggles sufferers battle against just to lead as near ‘normal’ a life as possible.  We need their help and support.

Despite there being a reliable diagnosis for fibromyalgia and treatment guidelines, many people still have to wait years to get diagnosed only to be told there is no treatment.
The method of diagnosis, initially developed for research purposes, has been shown to be both effective and simple.  On assessment, a careful health history is taken. If the patient reports widespread pain for more than three months together with pain in at least 11 out of 18 tender point sites when they are pressed, then a diagnosis of fibromyalgia can be made.   “Widespread pain” means pain above and below the waist and on both sides of the body. The “tender points”, or spots of extreme tenderness, are rarely noticed by the patient until they are pressed. 

Although more doctors are becoming knowledgeable about fibromyalgia, many people who contact Fibromyalgia Association UK tell us that, having read about the symptoms of fibromyalgia, it has been down to them to suggest the possibility of this as a diagnosis to their GP.  This diagnosis stills seems to be overlooked, despite the prevalence of the condition. 
Most people have to wait for an appointment with a consultant, usually a rheumatologist, before getting a confirmed diagnosed, when it should be possible to be diagnosed by the GP.

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Written by Des Quinn (A)

Last Updated on Wednesday, 07 May 2008 23:00 Created: Wednesday, 07 May 2008 22:48