Customer Reviews

Inside Fibromyalgia With Mark J. Pellegrino, MD

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Ever wanted a doctor to step into your living room and explain everything you need to know about fibromyalgia and how to live with it on a daily basis? Mark Pellegrino, M.D., does exactly that in his new book, Inside Fibromyalgia.

Inside Fibromyalgia is written both from a doctor and patient perspective as Dr. Pellegrino was diagnosed with FMS at age 28 while in medical residency. The book is arranged in six main sections (Diagnosing FMS, Understanding FMS, Treating FMS, Self-Directed Strategies for Managing FMS, Handling Specific Situations, and FMS in the New Millennium). Each section has several chapters, prefaced by a short, one page introduction that explains what the reader will find in that section. Chapters have key phrases pulled out to emphasize a point and "Survival Strategies" to summarize at the end, making information "cognitively" friendly for FMS readers who are having a cognitively challenging day. Although no credit was given, the wonderful illustrations throughout the book (especially the one on page 52) further help the reader visualize the different concepts being explained.

Up to now, The Fibromyalgia Survivor has been my favorite Dr. Pellegrino book. Inside Fibromyalgia has taken the best of that book, and updated and expanded the information and research to give the patient, medical professional or spouse one of the most complete and current books on fibromyalgia. If you are familiar with Dr. Pellegrino's many books, you will be looking for his Fibronomics, the top ten list, personalized greeting cards, and his special sense of humor ~ relax, it's in there.

In Dr. Pellegrino's own words, "I have become a fibromyalgia survivor, not from reading medical journals or attending symposiums, but through experiences with the patients that I have come to know and treat over the years. I consider them my colleagues! Today I continue an active clinical practice and am working together WITH fibromyalgia patients to solve OUR problems." Little wonder that the compassion with which Dr. Pellegrino writes (and his wonderful sense of humor) endears him to the FMS patient world and shows up in his books.

Review by: Margy Squires, Editor, Health Points

"Fibromyalgia can be a scary condition. It is not life threatening, but the pain it causes can lead to severe problems with everyday functioning." If you or your loved one have this condition, you have experienced first hand the truth of this author's statement. It's something you already know, quite well. What you may not know before reading this book, is that there IS hope! "We have an unlimited array of treatments we can try, but I believe the most important thing we can prescribe for fibromyalgia patients is HOPE." Dr. Pellegrino's own words summarize the best reason to read his latest work, INSIDE FIBROMYALGIA.
INSIDE FIBROMYALGIA is a 300 plus page book packed with information for patients who want to take charge of their life WITH fibromyalgia. It is an updated and expanded version of his original work, The Fibromyalgia Survivor. Dr. Pellegrino writes from a special perspective - he is one of us !!! As a physician (of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation), as well as a patient (he has fibromyalgia), he can offer readers advice from a different perspective. As you will read in the introduction, having fibromyalgia led him to choose his sub-specialty treating fibromyagia patients. His expertise in this area (He's treated over 10,00 patients) makes the information in this book credible and reliable, as well as practical. An added plus for this book is that Dr. Pellegrino has a wonderful sense of humor displayed throughout the book which endears and entertains his readers while they learn at the same time. He actually makes learning fun - No stuffy, hard to understand, medical lingo here !!
The book is very fibro-friendly in that it is well organized, clearly illustrated, and provides a very thorough index to simplify retrieving information. It is divided in 6 sections covering the following: I Diagnosing Fibromyalgia, II Understanding Fibromyalgia, III Treating Fibromyalgia, IV Self-Directed Strategies for Manging Fibromyalgia, V Handling Specific Situations, VI Fibromyalgia Into The New Millennium.
Each section begins with a preview of the section including some personal advice from the doctor. Within each section there are highlighted graphic boxes which include more detailed suggestions, explanations and information from Dr. Pellegrino. These highlighted sections are what sets this book apart from the others on this topic. It makes the reader feel as if Dr. Pellegrino is giving them a personal consultation in the comfort of their own home! Each chapter ends with a summary and a box of graphics labeled "Survival Strategies" which help to tie the book together and keep the reader on a path to achieving understanding, acceptance, control, and ultimately to "surviving" fibromyalgia.
Will fibromyalgia ever go away? Will there be a cure? As Dr. Pellegrino explains in the final pages of the book, at this time there is no cure. But he states, "The prognosis is good that one can improve (or heal)." This sums up the purpose for the book and it's central theme - empowering patients. His philosophy is that providing patients with accurate knowledge and teaching them self-help strategies that they can use as "tools," will lead them to achieve the best quality of life with fibromyalgia. Dr. Pellegrino shares with you what he has learned, so that you will learn. As he states, "I've learned to become a survivor, not from reading medical journals or attending symposiums, but through experiences with patients that I have come to know and treat over the years. I consider them my colleagues!" Arming yourself with the latest information on fibromyalgia, written by a physician who has fibromyalgia and considers himself your colleague, would be a positive first step on your way to becoming a "Fibromyalgia Survivor." I highly recommend this book, INSIDE FIBROMYALGIA, and hope it will help you as much as it has helped me in my life's journey with fibromyalgia.

I just finished reading a fantastic book on Fibromyalgia written by Dr. Mark Pellegrino called "Inside Fibromyalgia", "Specific Steps to Help Reclaim Your Life". Dr Pellegrino has packed into 340+ pages, a veritable "Survivors Guide" for the Fibromyalgia sufferer. Each chapter is laid out in language that everyone can understand. At the end of each chapter he has a summation that highlights what was covered, which I found to be a great tool. Whether you are newly diagnosed, a long time Fibromyalgia Survivor, or a loved one wanting to learn more; this book has something for you. I can't recommend it highly enough.

I can't say enough good things about this book. Dr. Pellegrino is one of the world's top fibromyalgia specialists, his books are informative, and you don't need a medical degree to understand what he's saying. He's lived with this disease all of his life, and knows his business.

For those of you that haven't become acquainted with Dr. Pellegrino through his books, this is a great way to start. And, it's such a comprehensive book that if you are searching for answers to your questions on fibromyalgia, you will probably find them here.

The best book I've found on Fibromyalgia. Who better to write on fm than a medical doctor who both specializes in fm and actually has the disease (yes, disease) himself? As a new fm patient, I found this book to be the most comprehensive, medically sound, and practical for helping to diagnose and treat fm. It even helped with my diagnosis. Another good source is "Living Well with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia" by Mary Shomon (another patient, but not a medical doctor; however, her book seems incredibly well researched. How did she find the energy?) A warning, "Fibromyalgia for Dummies" is an imcomplete piece of fluff, a waste of paper. (See my scathing review of it.) I agree with the reviews below, "Inside Fibromyaligia" is the first choice for fm patients. Thank you Mark Pellegrino.

Inside Fibroy... is an awesome book that I highly recommend reading and following to anyone who suffers from fibro. I do not however recommend that anyone actually track Dr. Pellegrino down in Ohio to see him personally. It is not worth the $200 which he demands up front. You can get more out of the book. He is more concerned with the bottom line than helping his patients especailly those who travel from out of town to see him. Unlike what he says in his book he will not write a detailed letter to employers to help them understand fibro or to help the fibro patient obtain restrictions or job modifications. I would recommend showing the book to your employer. The book is very helpful, in person the doctor is not.

Excellent source of information and comfort. This is the most organized, comprehensive and easy to understand book that I've read in a long time. It is clear to see that Dr. Pellegrino cares, understands and can relate to all that FM sufferers must endure.

Dr. Pellegrino has a warm friendly manner of writing that lets the reader with fibromyalgia know he does "understand." He gives facts but also shares his personal opinions and the experiences he has had with patients. In short, his writing reflects his knowledge on both a personal and professional level. * * *
Perhaps most appealing is Dr. Pellegrino's optimistic outlook. He has treated over 10,000 patients while maintaining his positive outlook as an FM survivor. There is acceptance and humor along with an assessment of new research and the future.

While this is not the first book I think fibro patients should have, that honor goes to the old version of Janet Hulme's Handbook, this is probably the second book a newly diagnosed person should read. The third one should be the Starlanyl.

While about a third of the information in Inside Fibromyalgia is generic and found in many other books, the other two thirds of the book contains his suggestions about how to modify activities of daily living, specific exercises to relieve pain in specific parts of the body and HUMOR make this an absolute must read and re-read. (you know how quickly we forget!!)

Inside Fibromyalgia with Mark J. Pellegrino, MD gives readers the experience of a personal 'consultation' with the doctor who has treated over 10,000 FMS patients. From the newest medications to alternative therapies ' it's all in the new 340 page book.