Fibromyalgia and Integrative Medicine
Fibromyalgia (FM) affects nearly 1 in 20 people globally. In the United States nearly 2–10% of the general population of all ages are affected by this condition. Cost associated with the syndrome exceeds $20 billion. FM is associated with many symptoms: pain, work limitations, low quality of life, poor coping, poor physical functioning. Also multiple chronic co-morbidities can make it particularly challenging to treat. It affects multiple physiological systems: cognitive, musculoskeletal, reproductive, sleep, digestive, urinary and psychological. Evidence-based treatment paradigms are emerging, but there remains a research-to-practice gap, leaving patients to seek out their own treatment options. Patients are increasingly seeking out Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for answers concerning FM.
