PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
LIVE WELL DESPITE FIBROMYALGIA
Educational books about fibromyalgia (FM) can be found in every library, bookstore and many websites today. But learning the facts is only the beginning for the 4-6 million people who suffer with this devastating illness. More importantly, they need to know how to live with it! Most physicians aren’t very helpful here; all they know are the facts they learned in medical school. The necessary practical information is only available from someone who has lived with FM, learned from it, and devised intelligent ways to work around it.
The side effects from prescription medications prompt many FM sufferers to turn to alternative therapies. A little-known but quite effective form is music. Studies have shown that Mozart in the background is a proven aid to reading comprehension. It can also be helpful for overcoming “fibrofog.” Quiet, soothing music also reduces anxiety and improves digestion.
Multiple music selections can be used to elevate mood by making purposeful choices. The first music heard should match the listener’s current state of mind. For example, a portion of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata might be appropriate for someone who is depressed. Each successive selection should be increasingly lively and upbeat. Theoretically, as the music gets happier, so does the listener.
Most physicians recommend warm water exercise for their FM patients, but few provide the necessary warnings. Even aquatic classes sponsored by respected organizations like the Arthritis Foundation can do more harm than good if they are held in a 90-degree pool and/or require repetitious movements. The heat alone can cause overwhelming fatigue. When combined with an hour of repetitive motion, the result can be devastating. For this author, that combination resulted in complete muscle collapse, an ambulance ride in a wet bathing suit, and a frightening hospital stay while being tested for neurological diseases.
By sharing her personal experiences in More Than Tender Points: A Fibromyalgia Memoir, Christine Lynch has created a valuable resource for FM sufferers. Diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 1990, Lynch was trained as a fibromyalgia support group leader by the Arthritis Foundation, has participated in FM support groups on both the east and west coasts, and has lobbied in Sacramento for increased funding and support for fibromyalgia. She is currently a columnist at Fibromyalgia News Today.
More Than Tender Points: A Fibromyalgia Memoir is available at Amazon.com.
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