Six million people in the United States meet the criteria for fibromyalgia. On average, they see about four doctors before they were correctly diagnosed, and many were convinced they had a life-threatening illness such as a body-wide cancer. Fibromyalgia is a combination of pain, fatigue, and systemic symptoms. Ten million patient visits to doctors every year in the United States are for pain; $600 billion is spent annually to diagnose or manage chronic pain, including litigation fees. One group has estimated that patients with fibromyalgia run up $20 billion in medical expenses annually. 10% of US adults have moderate pain and 1% have severe pain. 12% have functional disability due to chronic pain. Additionally, at any visit, 15 percent of all patients tell their doctor they are tired. There is a paucity of reliable, detailed information about the fibromyalgia syndrome that patients can use to help themselves or others. This updated edition of Making Sense of Fibromyalgia is written by well known, widely published experts in the field. It distills complex concepts of amplified pain into a easily readable and understandable narrative. This monograph is aimed at college educated laypersons, allied health professionals, patients and treating physicians. Since it was first published in 1999, Making Sense of Fibromyalgia has sold over 100,000 copies. Now updated and improved, this effort should increase one's knowledge of a very complex subject.
