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Orthopedic Services
Glendale Adventist Medical Center
1509 Wilson Terrace
Glendale, CA 91206
Ph: (818) 409-8000






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Last month I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia syndrome. Since then, I've gotten lots of advice from many friends and family about what to do for this problem. What do the experts say is best?

Early diagnosis and a comprehensive management plan for fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) are advised. With the right program of care, many patients with this condition are free of symptoms or have their symptoms under good control within two years of their diagnosis.

A thorough exam and understanding of the symptoms, triggers, and stressors in the patient's life is the first step. Since FMS is believed to be a problem with processing sensory input as pain, medications are used at first. The medications can help ease the pain-spasm cycle and reduce hyperexcitability of the nervous system.

Exercise to raise the natural levels of endorphins (pain killers) in the body is the next step. A physical therapist will prescribe the right program and advise you accordingly. Modalities such as ultrasound, electrotherapy, and manual therapy may be used at first to help get your pain under control.

Your physician may suggest other ways to manage this problem. Some patients benefit from behavioral counseling, biofeedback, or psychiatric care to address any anxiety or depressive mood disorders. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may require a combination of ongoing counseling and long-term medication.

Each patient will be treated differently depending on the individual circumstances of their life and physical condition. There is no standard one-program-fits-all type of approach. Many patients try one method or a combination of treatments before finding the one that helps the most. What works today may not be as helpful three months from now. This means that the management plan can change as your symptoms improve.


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