A guide to coping with fibromyalgia, myofascial pain, and chronic fatigue syndrome • Reveals how to deal with each disorder and how treatments can interact or aggravate if more than one disorder is present • Offers techniques to dispel the side effects created by these illnesses Fibromyalgia, chronic myofascial pain, and chronic fatigue syndrome are often seen as interchangeable conditions, a belief held even by many health care providers. Nothing could be further from the truth--however, they do often coexist. Knowing if more than one of these disorders is present is extremely important because the treatment for one of them can often exacerbate the problems caused by the others. Written by a registered nurse and a psychologist who has been treating these conditions since 1994, this book presents an integrative medical approach to these three disorders with a strong emphasis on utilizing and strengthening the mind-body connection to restore well-being. The authors provide a thorough guide to numerous treatment options--from diet, exercise, and herbs to mindfulness meditation, chi kung, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). They also offer techniques to dispel the “brain fog” that these disorders often create and show how to overcome the resultant obstacles to effectively communicating with your doctor. The additional information included on the psychological issues that accompany these chronic pain disorders allows this integrative treatment guide to open the door not only to physical recovery but also emotional and mental well-being.

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a condition that causes persistent and debilitating tiredness. The condition has no obvious cause but persists for more than six months, and patients tend to avoid activity due to constant fatigue. A wide variety of causes are thought to contribute to the condition, while the relatively low disease prevalence and lack of diagnostic criteria has made it difficult to identify and diagnose CFS. Here, Naheed Ali presents an overview of CFS, its causes, symptoms and outcomes, and the treatment options available to sufferers. He also includes information about lifestyle changes, preventative measures, and emotional and mental approaches to having the disorder. Readers will find here a ready resource for understanding CFS and the various ways of approaching it, and living well in spite of it.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome causes extreme fatigue that can't be explained by any underlying medical condition. The fatigue may worsen with physical or mental activity, and it doesn't improve with rest. Provide your readers with essential information on CFS. This book also serves as a historical survey, by providing information on the controversies surrounding its causes. Compelling first-person narratives by people coping with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome give readers a first-hand experience. Readers will learn from the words of patients, family members, or caregivers. The symptoms, causes, treatments, and potential cures are explained in detail. Alternative treatments are also covered. Each essay is carefully edited and presented with an introduction, so that they are accessible for student researchers and readers.

Describes the effectiveness of tai chi, yoga, acupuncture, massage, andhiropractic.

Disability rights advocate Darrell Lynn Jones worked for the civil rights and empowerment of people with disabilities. But she didnt recognize her professional skills could be used to live effectively with her own chronic illness until she connected the dots between her physical journey and her spiritual journey. The author came to see her illness as a soul journeymeaning her human traits, including chronic illness, are simply Spirit immersed in a physical experience, using time and space as a playground for creation and discovery. Becoming MySelf offers a fresh look at the new-age idea of creating your own reality and suggests the reality one already has is brimming with gifts and opportunities. This perspective helps you end the discontentment you may have concerning illness, disability, aging, and dyingand the belief that we are victims if were sick. An empowering memoir/self-help book for anyone contending with a hidden disability or chronic illness. (Kirkus Indie Review)

Mainstream medicine, however useful in other areas of healing, has failed to effectively treat the complexities of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. This useful book focuses on alternative therapies for these prevalent diseases. Patients from around the world describe their experiences and coping strategies, while dozens of experts in fields ranging from naturopathy, ayurveda, and reflexology, to guided imagery, hypnosis, and guaifenesin therapy, share their knowledge. With 70 percent new material, this guide offers both insight and inspiration for those dealing with these challenging conditions.

Because of the individual and varying symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome, medical guidelines encompassing the needs of every patient simply do not exist. Through proven research and recommendations for future treatment, Disability and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Clinical, Legal, and Patient Perspectives discusses the difficult subject of how to diagnose disability in chronic fatigue syndrome patients, how to determine the severity of a patient’s disability, and how new disability guidelines would make more chronic fatigue patients eligible to apply for disability benefits. From this information, you will gain a clearer understanding of chronic fatigue syndrome, enabling you to more accurately assess a patient’s condition or decide if your client is eligible for disability benefits. Essential for clinicians, lawyers, patients, and medical insurers, Disability and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome provides an outline of disability guidelines established by the Social Security Administration (SSA), the Veterans’Administration, and the American Medical Association, as well as federal guidelines. While gaining information on the different types of disability insurance available to chronic fatigue patients, such as the Long Term Disability (LTD) policy, you will also learn how standard procedures such as psychiatric evaluation, neuropsychological testing, and physical capacity measurement can both help and hinder the process of determining disability in a patient. In addition, Disability and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome provides insight into: the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome, such as inability to work and level of stamina, in accordance with medical and legal definitions disability guidelines set by the SSA how patients’varying symptoms and conflicting findings affect disability diagnosis in chronic fatigue syndrome patients by SSA standards plans by the Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS) Association of America to work with the SSA concerning strategies to dissolve barriers to Social Security Disability Income Benefits for patients and to advocate for up-to-date information on CFIDS in the SSA’s Listing of Impairments. tips on applying for SSA benefits claims that insurance companies have used misleading surveillance videos and fraud to discontinue disability benefits to patients in need of coverage Since the Social Security Administration does not currently consider a CFIDS diagnosis enough to win a disability claim, Disability and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome also contains many recommendations for improving federal disability guidelines, such as using results from functional evaluations, neuropsychological testing, and exercise endurance testing as evidence of impairment. For less severe cases, this book provides you with suggestions for rehabilitation of CFS patients before disability claims are made, including patient training and education, dependency counseling, muscular conditioning, and occupational therapy. Whether you are a patient, clinician, lawyer, or medical insurer, Disability and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome will guide you through the complex issues surrounding disability and this intricate disease.

Drawing on solid scientific evidence as well as extensive first-hand experience, this manual provides the practical information you need to safely and effectively integrate complementary and alternative treatment modalities into your practice. It explains how alternative therapies can help you fight diseases that do not respond readily to traditional treatments... presents integrative treatments for a full range of diseases and conditions, including autism, stroke, chronic fatigue syndrome, and various forms of cancer...explores how to advise patients on health maintenance and wellness...and offers advice on topics such as meditation, diet, and exercises for back pain. 24 new chapters, a new organization, make this landmark reference more useful than ever. Provides dosages and precautions to help you avoid potential complications.Delivers therapy-based pearls to enhance your patient care.Facilitates patient education with helpful handouts. Offers helpful icons that highlight the level and quality of evidence for each specific modality.Includes bonus PDA software that lets you load all of the therapeutic review sections onto your handheld device.Presents a new organization, with numerous section headings and subheadings, for greater ease of reference.Provides additional clinical practice and business considerations for incorporating integrative medicine into clinical practice.

Although fibromyalgia is a real neurological condition, it is not uncommon for FM sufferers to be treated as if "it's all in your head." Support, understanding, and even basic information can be hard to come by for coping with the intense pain and fatigue of this debilitating chronic illness, as well as the grief, anger, and isolation that often accompany its onset. Women Living with Fibromyalgia offers insight and practical advice to help sufferers alleviate the symptoms of FM and manage its impact on their lives, relationships, and careers. Woman from all walks of life share their experiences and the lessons they've learned about fibromyalgia, from a single student pondering the impact of FM on her future to the mother trying to find the energy to care for her children. Topics include: Strategies for dealing with pain, fatigue, and "brain fog;" advances in pharmaceutical treatment; results from latest scientific research; exciting new "alternative" treatments; financial issues such as insurance and Social Security benefits; and how an awareness of their rights can help women with FM in dealing with healthcare providers. This book helps its sufferers create new, rewarding lives even as they grieve the loss of the old one.

In this innovative text, James LaValle clearly explains what can cause joint and muscle inflammation, then sets forward mutliple treatments, with step-by-step instructions on how to use these treatments most effectively. Futhermore, he writes about exciting new studies that indicate the possible effectiveness of Cox-2 inhibitors in treating diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer's.