Fibromyalgia and
Chronic Myofascial Pain,
edition 2
A word from the author

I have both fibromyalgia and myofascial pain and know how difficult it can be for people with these conditions to decide what book to buy.  There are so many books on fibromyalgia, and even a few on myofascial pain.  Yet many of these contain misinformation or are not complete.  Do you know most people with fibromyalgia have myofascial trigger points as a major component of their pain?  Most books contain nothing about trigger points, which are not part of fibromyalgia at all.  We know how and why they occur, and the explanations are in this book.  All widespread pain is not fibromyalgia.  Research indicates that myofascial pain and fibromyalgia are two of the three most common causes of musculoskeletal pain.  There is no other book covering both subjects, written in easy to understand language, yet with medical journal and text referenced material.  That’s why this book is so big.

During the time I wrote this edition, I was also chief investigator of a clinical study.  I was in daily contact with researchers around the world.  While some doctors insist that these conditions "do not exist", others who know better are finding ways to identify causes and relieve symptoms.  As an example, at the April 2001 American Pain Society’s meeting in Phoenix AZ, glia cells, a central nervous system cell, were the new "hot topic".  As reported in "The Fibromyalgia Network", July 2001, "When glia cells become activated during pathological pain situations , they can also control the release of neurotransmitters...  It now appears that the glia cells are turning out to be the true "brains" of the nervous system, and the neurons that travel throughout the body are relaying messages that are strongly influenced by glial cells...  They stimulate themselves... creating a very prolonged cytokine release and exaggerated pain state".  In 1995, I wrote "There is some thought (admittedly mostly by me) that the glial cells of the nervous system could be involved (in fibromyalgia) the same way the myofascial cells are in MPS..."  This was published in 1996, in the first edition (p174).  In this edition, I explain more about glial cells and why they are so much more than the neural scaffolding much of the rest of the medical world believe them to be.  We continue the tradition of ground breaking in this edition .  Mary Ellen Copeland and I have also included the latest chronic pain management techniques.  You will not want to be without her "Wellness Recovery Action Plan".  If you are now struggling to cope with life, let me teach you how to dance with the dragons that are blocking your path.

Although some of the chapter headings are the same as the first edition, they are filled with new material.  New chapters explain relationships of some symptoms, such as diffuse swelling and type two diabetes, to these conditions.  Do you crave carbohydrates?  Does it seem that diets don’t work for you?  Do you wake up feeling worse than when you went to sleep?  Learn why some menstrual symptoms are treatable if you know where to look for the trigger points.  Fifty percent of myofascial pain patients are men.  Trigger points can cause impotence that can be relieved with the proper treatment.  Find out how you may be able to prevent osteoarthritis or keep it from spreading.  Find out how to prevent carpal tunnel surgery.  Discover how to deal with many symptoms that are often blamed on aging but are preventable or treatable.  All of this information is documented by careful research, and most of it is new.  Unlike other authors, I cannot promise a cure for fibromyalgia.  As of this date, there is none.  What I can promise is that if you use this book to help identify perpetuating factors and manage them successfully, you can attain greater function and improve your life.

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