Sun, Jul 05, 2009
ez access
Subscriber services | Subscribe now
Custom clipper icon
Dufault practices yoga in the backyard of her Northwest Side home. She was diagnosed with fibromyalgia a decade ago but pushed through the pain with hiking and other forms of movement.
Fibromyalgia
What is fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain illness characterized by widespread muscular aches, pain, stiffness, tenderness, fatigue and sleep disturbances.
Who is affected?
Approximately 3 percent to 6 percent of the U.S. population is estimated to have fibromyalgia, mainly women of all ages and races.
What causes fibromyalgia?
Although the underlying cause remains a mystery, a current theory is that people with fibromyalgia have a lower threshold for pain because of increased sensitivity in the brain to pain signals.
Some studies indicate genetic factors, although a large percentage of patients suffer an onset due to illness or injury causing trauma to the body.
How is it diagnosed?
With no laboratory tests yet available, doctors rely on patient histories and symptoms, as well as an exam that determines pain in the muscles, ligaments and tendons in certain parts of the body.
How is it treated?
Through pain management with medications, sleep management, nutrition and psychological support in dealing with a chronic illness.
Sources: National Fibromyalgia Association and Mayoclinic.com.

Accent

'I'm the exception,' she says

Tucson, Arizona | Published: 02.10.2008
Not everyone with fibromyalgia can walk an 800-mile trail, as Sirena Dufault is planning next month, cautions Lynne Matallana, founder and president of the National Fibromyalgia Association.
"We don't encourage it as the norm," she says.
Even so, Matallana, who was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 1995 and spent two years in bed, wound up riding a tandem bike three years ago from San Francisco to Los Angeles, covering 310 miles in eight days.
Like Dufault, Matallana also had been athletic before the illness struck. Dufault's onset came from an accident, Matallana's following surgery.
"It's trauma to the body," says Matallana.
Since she posted her Web site, Dufault has gotten a few negative comments from some suffering with fibromyalgia.
"I realize I'm the exception," she says. "I am trying to hike for the people who can't, to raise awareness about them. It's not about, 'Look what I can do.'"
Often dismissed by health professionals in earlier years, fibromyalgia, which Matallana describes as "pain amplification in the central nervous system," is now recognized by the Food and Drug Administration, the American Medical Association, the American College of Rheumatology and the National Institutes of Health.
"This illness affects people to different degrees," says Matallana. "We know things can be done, not just medication, but also exercise, eating right, getting enough sleep. It's wellness."
Get Arizona Daily Star home delivery and SAVE BIG!
Go Back