In an interesting survey amongst doctors, fibromyalgia was considered the least prestigious disease. Although this survey was done in a Scandinavian country and was done more than 13 years ago, the grim situation is still the same today all over the world. Patients suffering with fibromyalgia feel that they are not believed and they are not listened to. Despite knowledge being gathered on this disease for a few centuries, and having definite diagnostic criteria and management pathways, the healthcare system still fails many patients who are left without a diagnosis or treatment plan.
Fibromyalgia is a disease that causes widespread pain in many areas of the body and has significant accompanying symptoms like fatigue, waking unrefreshed and cognitive symptoms. Fibromyalgia affects patients as a whole including their cognitive performance, physical skills, psychological status, ability to work and social life. It can present as a part of the spectrum of functional pain syndromes, often accompanied by other systemic conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, headaches and chronic fatigue. It is estimated that 1 in 20 can suffer with this debilitating condition.
This textbook will cover the condition in great detail and is written in an easy-to-understand style. Doctors, nurses, medical students, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, psychologists, and other healthcare professionals will find this book informative. Patients who suffer from fibromyalgia will also find it useful to understand their medical condition; the book will help to direct them to specific treatment strategies, explaining the benefit and risk in detail. As this is a common chronic pain presentation, it will be of immense use to candidates preparing for examinations conducted by the Royal College of Anaesthetists, UK (FRCA), Faculty of Pain Medicine, UK (FFPMRCA), American Board of Anesthesiology (AB), College of Anaesthesiologists of Ireland (FCAI), European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care (EDAIC), Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (FANZA), World Institute of Pain (FIPP/CIPS), Canadian Board exams, National Board of Examinations of India (Dip NB) and other competitive exams across the globe.