The Fibromyalgia Help Book: Practical Guide to Living Better with Fibromyalgia [Paperback]

Jenny R.N. Fransen (Author), Russell . Jon M.D. Ph.D (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 29, 1997 | ISBN-10: 0961522143 | ISBN-13: 978-0961522148 | Edition: 13

The most comprehensive and understandable treatise on fibromyalgia that I have had the pleasure to review. It deals in a very practical way with questions I hear in my office every day. I plan to use this book for my patients.—Glenn A. McCain, M.D., Southeast Arthritis Care Center, Charlotte, North Carolina

Editorial Reviews

Review

This book will be extremely helpful to the entire fibromyalgia community. -- Daniel J. Clauw, M.D., Division of Rheumatology, Immunology, and Allergy, Georgetown University Medical Center

Without a doubt, it is the most complete, factual and readable guide that has yet come on the market. -- Carol S. Burckhardt, R.N., Ph.D., Division of Arthritis and Rheumatic Diseases, Oregon Health Science University

About the Author

Jenny A. Fransen is a rheumatology nurse clinician and director of the Arthritis Care Program and Fibromyalgia Treatment Program at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, MN. Fransen has worked with thousands of patients with fibromyalgia.

Dr. Jon Russell, M.D., Ph.D., is Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, where he is also Director of the Univeristy Clinical Research Center. Russell is an internationally recognized researcher and clinical practitioner caring for patients with musculoskeletal pain disorders.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Smith House Press; 13 edition (December 29, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0961522143
• ISBN-13: 978-0961522148
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #151,741 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #35 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Disorders & Diseases > Chronic Fatigue Syndrome & Fibromyalgia
  • #74 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Disorders & Diseases > Musculoskeletal Diseases

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

55 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good book for the just-diagnosed, July 5, 2000

By 

drdebs (CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Fibromyalgia Help Book: Practical Guide to Living Better with Fibromyalgia (Paperback)

This is a good fibromyalgia book to buy if you have just been diagnosed and you are looking for practical advice on how to cope with your illness. Though not as detailed and complete as Starlanyl and Copeland's Fibromyalgia and Chronic Myofascial Pain Syndrome, it is also less overwhelming and so is particularly good for someone who is feeling overwhelmed, doesn't like a lot of medical information, or has a mild form of the disease. The chapters "You aren't alone", "Making Lifestyle adjustments," and "Practical helps for specific problems" are quite good, as are the three chapters on managing fatigue, stress, and flareups.

55 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Making Sense Out of A Mysterious Illness, July 23, 1998

By 

Gloria E. Salavarria ([e-mail]) (Middlebury, IN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Fibromyalgia Help Book: Practical Guide to Living Better with Fibromyalgia (Paperback)

When my doctor told me he thought I had fibromyalgia, I thought "Oh, great! A garbage can diagnosis--he's telling me something just to keep me happy." I had gone through every pamphlet on the office wall and this was the last one he had that he could hand to me. It didn't make me feel any better. I still have the sleep disorder, the chronic pain and fatigue. I have periods in which I can be semi-normal, and other periods when I'm a zombie. My employer gave up on me and my government doesn't believe I have a disability that should be covered by SSDI. Meanwhile, I suffer.

So, it's a relief to find a book that helps me make sense of this. I still feel rotten but I feel more comfortable with the diagnosis, and I now have answers that may help me reclaim a more normal life. That's more than I thought possible before reading this book. This book is recommended by the Fibromyalgia Network as a good starting point and reference for those who have fibromyalgia, and for their ! families who need to know what to make of it. I agree.

47 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is the best book I have read on this subject., July 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Fibromyalgia Help Book: Practical Guide to Living Better with Fibromyalgia (Paperback)

This book has brought peace of mind and a greater understanding of what is happening in my body. No one enjoys chronic pain and it is confusing to feel so full of pain everywhere one day and then feel better the next only to ache worse the following day. This book makes one realize that this is part of the syndrome. It offers hope and acceptance and is easy to understand.