Exploring the Experiences of Living with a Controversial Illness in Patients with Fibromyalgia

Exploring the Experiences of Living with a Controversial Illness in Patients with Fibromyalgia PDF Author: Samantha L. Wheeler
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Counseling
Languages : en
Pages : 332

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Book Description
Fibromyalgia is an illness of great controversy estimated to affect approximately 4% of the US population. There are no widely accepted etiological causes or clear physiological explanations of fibromyalgia. Only a few research studies have addressed the concept of illness uncertainty in patients with fibromyalgia. There are no current studies that examine how fibromyalgia patients experience, perceive, and understand their illness in terms of having a syndrome with an unknown etiology. This qualitative study, using phenomenological methods, explored the concept of unknown etiology as one factor in illness uncertainty. Ten participants, diagnosed with fibromyalgia from 2-15 years were interviewed. The findings from the study are divided into two parts. The first part presents a description of each participant case along with each study participant's understanding of the cause of his or her illness. The second part of the findings offers the results from the data analyses at the cross case level and describes commonalities of the fibromyalgia illness experience. The major findings of this study include the following: (a) common experiences of: pain, exhaustion, frustration, depression, cognitive difficulties, un-predictable and changing symptoms, not looking sick, and the experience of not being understood; (b) participants understood their illness as one that is invisible to others and one that is constantly changing; (c) the unclear etiology had either a continuing negative impact or negative impact at the beginning of one's illness course, whereas those diagnosed longer let go of worry about cause and shifted to a coping focus; (d) friends were perceived to be more supportive than family or members of the medical community; (e) specialists in rheumatology and pain management were perceived as having the best response regarding members of the medical community; (f) the response from medical practitioners is improving; and (g) achieving support varied depending on the person considered. Discussion of the study findings include relating the findings to existing research regarding fibromyalgia and illness uncertainty, implications of the findings for Counseling psychologists, and the strengths and limitations of the study. This study sought to provide helpful information through stories of fibromyalgia patients, with hope of contributing to the scarce body of knowledge regarding the subjective experiences of this controversial illness.

Exploring the Experiences of Living with a Controversial Illness in Patients with Fibromyalgia

Exploring the Experiences of Living with a Controversial Illness in Patients with Fibromyalgia PDF Author: Samantha L. Wheeler
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Counseling
Languages : en
Pages : 332

Get Book Here

Book Description
Fibromyalgia is an illness of great controversy estimated to affect approximately 4% of the US population. There are no widely accepted etiological causes or clear physiological explanations of fibromyalgia. Only a few research studies have addressed the concept of illness uncertainty in patients with fibromyalgia. There are no current studies that examine how fibromyalgia patients experience, perceive, and understand their illness in terms of having a syndrome with an unknown etiology. This qualitative study, using phenomenological methods, explored the concept of unknown etiology as one factor in illness uncertainty. Ten participants, diagnosed with fibromyalgia from 2-15 years were interviewed. The findings from the study are divided into two parts. The first part presents a description of each participant case along with each study participant's understanding of the cause of his or her illness. The second part of the findings offers the results from the data analyses at the cross case level and describes commonalities of the fibromyalgia illness experience. The major findings of this study include the following: (a) common experiences of: pain, exhaustion, frustration, depression, cognitive difficulties, un-predictable and changing symptoms, not looking sick, and the experience of not being understood; (b) participants understood their illness as one that is invisible to others and one that is constantly changing; (c) the unclear etiology had either a continuing negative impact or negative impact at the beginning of one's illness course, whereas those diagnosed longer let go of worry about cause and shifted to a coping focus; (d) friends were perceived to be more supportive than family or members of the medical community; (e) specialists in rheumatology and pain management were perceived as having the best response regarding members of the medical community; (f) the response from medical practitioners is improving; and (g) achieving support varied depending on the person considered. Discussion of the study findings include relating the findings to existing research regarding fibromyalgia and illness uncertainty, implications of the findings for Counseling psychologists, and the strengths and limitations of the study. This study sought to provide helpful information through stories of fibromyalgia patients, with hope of contributing to the scarce body of knowledge regarding the subjective experiences of this controversial illness.

Beyond Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Beyond Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome PDF Author: Institute of Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309316928
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 251

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Book Description
Myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) are serious, debilitating conditions that affect millions of people in the United States and around the world. ME/CFS can cause significant impairment and disability. Despite substantial efforts by researchers to better understand ME/CFS, there is no known cause or effective treatment. Diagnosing the disease remains a challenge, and patients often struggle with their illness for years before an identification is made. Some health care providers have been skeptical about the serious physiological - rather than psychological - nature of the illness. Once diagnosed, patients often complain of receiving hostility from their health care provider as well as being subjected to treatment strategies that exacerbate their symptoms. Beyond Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome proposes new diagnostic clinical criteria for ME/CFS and a new term for the illness - systemic exertion intolerance disease(SEID). According to this report, the term myalgic encephalomyelitis does not accurately describe this illness, and the term chronic fatigue syndrome can result in trivialization and stigmatization for patients afflicted with this illness. Beyond Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome stresses that SEID is a medical - not a psychiatric or psychological - illness. This report lists the major symptoms of SEID and recommends a diagnostic process.One of the report's most important conclusions is that a thorough history, physical examination, and targeted work-up are necessary and often sufficient for diagnosis. The new criteria will allow a large percentage of undiagnosed patients to receive an accurate diagnosis and appropriate care. Beyond Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome will be a valuable resource to promote the prompt diagnosis of patients with this complex, multisystem, and often devastating disorder; enhance public understanding; and provide a firm foundation for future improvements in diagnosis and treatment.

Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia PDF Author: Dawn A. Marcus
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1441916091
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 266

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Book Description
Caring for patients with fibromyalgia requires an understanding of the complex nature of this condition. Fibromyalgia: A Practical Clinical Guide is a state-of-the-art resource designed to clarify the controversy about fibromyalgia and to provide clinicians with the latest information about its pathogenesis and clinical evaluation, as well as evidence-based guidelines for effective treatment. This comprehensive title includes fully referenced, practical information on this fast-emerging field and provides useful clinical suggestions and practical office tools for effectively managing patients. The good news for fibromyalgia patients and their healthcare providers is that a wide range of medication, non-medication, and non-traditional therapies have been proven to effectively reduce some of the most problematic and disabling fibromyalgia symptoms. Brief case vignettes help describe many of the common presentations, concerns, and complexities typically seen in fibromyalgia patients. Invaluable graphic aids -- boxes, tables, and figures – are used widely to provide quick reference for the busy clinician seeking information. In addition, clinic-proven assessment and documentation tools for evaluating and monitoring fibromyalgia symptoms and severity are provided, along with handouts for patients to provide guidance on pain management techniques, including detailed exercise and relaxation technique instructions. A unique addition to the literature, Fibromyalgia: A Practical Clinical Guide is an indispensable reference for all clinicians who care for patients with fibromyalgia.

The Fibromyalgia Story

The Fibromyalgia Story PDF Author: Kristin Barker
Publisher: Temple University Press
ISBN: 1439904596
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 265

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Book Description
The first unbiased assessment of fibromyalgia.

High Quality Care for All

High Quality Care for All PDF Author: Secretary of State for Health
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 9780101743228
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 92

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Book Description
This review incorporates the views and visions of 2,000 clinicians and other health and social care professionals from every NHS region in England, and has been developed in discussion with patients, carers and the general public. The changes proposed are locally-led, patient-centred and clinically driven. Chapter 2 identifies the challenges facing the NHS in the 21st century: ever higher expectations; demand driven by demographics as people live longer; health in an age of information and connectivity; the changing nature of disease; advances in treatment; a changing health workplace. Chapter 3 outlines the proposals to deliver high quality care for patients and the public, with an emphasis on helping people to stay healthy, empowering patients, providing the most effective treatments, and keeping patients as safe as possible in healthcare environments. The importance of quality in all aspects of the NHS is reinforced in chapter 4, and must be understood from the perspective of the patient's safety, experience in care received and the effectiveness of that care. Best practice will be widely promoted, with a central role for the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) in expanding national standards. This will bring clarity to the high standards expected and quality performance will be measured and published. The review outlines the need to put frontline staff in control of this drive for quality (chapter 5), with greater freedom to use their expertise and skill and decision-making to find innovative ways to improve care for patients. Clinical and managerial leadership skills at the local level need further development, and all levels of staff will receive support through education and training (chapter 6). The review recommends the introduction of an NHS Constitution (chapter 7). The final chapter sets out the means of implementation.

Pain Management and the Opioid Epidemic

Pain Management and the Opioid Epidemic PDF Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309459575
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 483

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Book Description
Drug overdose, driven largely by overdose related to the use of opioids, is now the leading cause of unintentional injury death in the United States. The ongoing opioid crisis lies at the intersection of two public health challenges: reducing the burden of suffering from pain and containing the rising toll of the harms that can arise from the use of opioid medications. Chronic pain and opioid use disorder both represent complex human conditions affecting millions of Americans and causing untold disability and loss of function. In the context of the growing opioid problem, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) launched an Opioids Action Plan in early 2016. As part of this plan, the FDA asked the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to convene a committee to update the state of the science on pain research, care, and education and to identify actions the FDA and others can take to respond to the opioid epidemic, with a particular focus on informing FDA's development of a formal method for incorporating individual and societal considerations into its risk-benefit framework for opioid approval and monitoring.

Sleep Disorders and Sleep Deprivation

Sleep Disorders and Sleep Deprivation PDF Author: Institute of Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309101115
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 425

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Book Description
Clinical practice related to sleep problems and sleep disorders has been expanding rapidly in the last few years, but scientific research is not keeping pace. Sleep apnea, insomnia, and restless legs syndrome are three examples of very common disorders for which we have little biological information. This new book cuts across a variety of medical disciplines such as neurology, pulmonology, pediatrics, internal medicine, psychiatry, psychology, otolaryngology, and nursing, as well as other medical practices with an interest in the management of sleep pathology. This area of research is not limited to very young and old patientsâ€"sleep disorders reach across all ages and ethnicities. Sleep Disorders and Sleep Deprivation presents a structured analysis that explores the following: Improving awareness among the general public and health care professionals. Increasing investment in interdisciplinary somnology and sleep medicine research training and mentoring activities. Validating and developing new and existing technologies for diagnosis and treatment. This book will be of interest to those looking to learn more about the enormous public health burden of sleep disorders and sleep deprivation and the strikingly limited capacity of the health care enterprise to identify and treat the majority of individuals suffering from sleep problems.

Contested Illnesses

Contested Illnesses PDF Author: Phil Brown
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 0520950429
Category : Health & Fitness
Languages : en
Pages : 342

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Book Description
The politics and science of health and disease remain contested terrain among scientists, health practitioners, policy makers, industry, communities, and the public. Stakeholders in disputes about illnesses or conditions disagree over their fundamental causes as well as how they should be treated and prevented. This thought-provoking book crosses disciplinary boundaries by engaging with both public health policy and social science, asserting that science, activism, and policy are not separate issues and showing how the contribution of environmental factors in disease is often overlooked.

Under the Medical Gaze

Under the Medical Gaze PDF Author: Susan Greenhalgh
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 0520925092
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 385

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Book Description
This compelling account of the author's experience with a chronic pain disorder and subsequent interaction with the American health care system goes to the heart of the workings of power and culture in the biomedical domain. It is a medical whodunit full of mysterious misdiagnosis, subtle power plays, and shrewd detective work. Setting a new standard for the practice of autoethnography, Susan Greenhalgh presents a case study of her intense encounter with an enthusiastic young specialist who, through creative interpretation of the diagnostic criteria for a newly emerging chronic disease, became convinced she had a painful, essentially untreatable, lifelong muscle condition called fibromyalgia. Greenhalgh traces the ruinous effects of this diagnosis on her inner world, bodily health, and overall well-being. Under the Medical Gaze serves as a powerful illustration of medicine's power to create and inflict suffering, to define disease and the self, and to manage relationships and lives. Greenhalgh ultimately learns that she had been misdiagnosed and begins the long process of undoing the physical and emotional damage brought about by her nearly catastrophic treatment. In considering how things could go so awry, she embarks on a cogent and powerful analysis of the sociopolitical sources of pain through feminist, cultural, and political understandings of the nature of medical discourse and practice in the United States. She develops fresh arguments about the power of medicine to medicalize our selves and lives, the seductions of medical science, and the deep, psychologically rooted difficulties women patients face in interactions with male physicians. In the end, Under the Medical Gaze goes beyond the critique of biomedicine to probe the social roots of chronic pain and therapeutic alternatives that rely on neither the body-cure of conventional medicine nor the mind-cure of some alternative medicines, but rather a broader set of strategies that address the sociopolitical sources of pain.

Medically Unexplained Symptoms, Somatisation and Bodily Distress

Medically Unexplained Symptoms, Somatisation and Bodily Distress PDF Author: Francis Creed
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1139498452
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 267

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Book Description
Medically unexplained symptoms and somatisation are the fifth most common reason for visits to doctors in the USA, and form one of the most expensive diagnostic categories in Europe. The range of disorders involved includes irritable bowel syndrome, chronic widespread pain and chronic fatigue syndrome. This book reviews the current literature, clarifies and disseminates clear information about the size and scope of the problem, and discusses current and future national and international guidelines. It also identifies barriers to progress and makes evidence-based recommendations for the management of medically unexplained symptoms and somatisation. Written and edited by leading experts in the field, this authoritative text defines international best practice and is an important resource for psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, primary care doctors and those responsible for establishing health policy.