All About Fibromyalgia: A Guide for Patients and Their Families (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Janice Brock Wallace (Author) "There are times when rheumatologists have been accused of making up new syndromes..." (more)
Key Phrases: chronic neuromuscular pain, fibromyalgia patients, managing fibromyalgia, United States, Improving Your Quality of Life, Arthritis Foundation (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Fibromyalgia, a syndrome rather than a disease, is more widely accepted by the medical profession now than it was a decade ago. This informative, accessible manual begins with the syndrome's history and proceeds to who generally gets fibromyalgia (more women than men) and why. The Wallaces describe the often localized or regional pains and discomforts associated with the syndrome, show how they affect different parts and systems of the body, and explore the relationships between the syndrome and stress, sleep, hormones, and the immune system. Many conditions can be related to fibromyalgia, and a physician must consider such possibilities in making a differential diagnosis and in preparing a program of treatment. The Wallaces also discuss various therapies and methods for coping with the condition. They give both patients and health professionals a fuller understanding of fibromyalgia and suggestions for working together in successfully combating it. William Beatty
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Description

This year, six million Americans--most of them women--will go to their doctors, complaining of an illness they have no name for. The majority will be turned away or treated for depression; the few who persist will go to an average of four doctors before they receive the correct diagnosis: fibromyalgia. In their earlier Making Sense of Fibromyalgia, noted medical writer Janice Wallace and Dr. Daniel Wallace, a leading expert on this disorder, provided a comprehensive guide--for both patients and professionals--to this little known and poorly understood syndrome. Now, in All About Fibromyalgia, the Wallaces provide a thoroughly revised and updated version of that highly successful volume, incorporating a wealth of new information. This edition provides the current understanding of the disease as well as the latest drug treatments--all laid out in clear and accessible language. As in the previous volume, the authors provide a detailed, yet clear explanation of the disease. Fibromyalgia, they explain, is a form of chronic neuromuscular pain, a pain-amplification syndrome brought on by abnormal interactions between hormones, the immune system, neurotransmitters, and the autonomic nervous system. Sometimes the syndrome occurs spontaneously; in most cases, the authors write, it is associated with trauma, stress, such conditions as lupus and hypothyroidism, and over forty microbes, from hepatitis to Epstein-Barr to Lyme disease. Drawing on actual cases to illustrate their points, the authors help break through the isolation that patients often feel when doctors misdiagnose or simply ignore their symptoms. All About Fibromyalgia addresses a desperate need for information on this disease and offers reassurance to patients and their families.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; 2 edition (April 15, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195147537
• ISBN-13: 978-0195147537
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #625,911 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read This Book, July 3, 2002

By	"nenien" (Goleta, CA United States) - See all my reviews

I own a dozen books on fibro. This is the one I use repeatedly, having memorized its predecessor, "Making Sense of Fibromyalgia".

This is an "owner's guide" to a body with FMS. If you have been diagnosed with it, suspect you have it, or know someone who has it, read this book. It will dispel all sorts of stereotypes and acquaint you with the origins, diagnosis, treatments for FMS, and their probable outcomes. If you love someone with FMS, you will understand that person a great deal better once you've read this.

If you don't know who Dr. Daniel Wallace is, and you have any interest in autoimmune disorders or FMS, MCTD, UCTD and other connective tissue issues, you ought to. Take a quick glance through his bibliography, or ask his patients. He's one of the best rheumatologists in practice, and his books, including this one and its predecessors on FMS, "The Lupus Book," and the comprehensive textbook, "Dubois'Lupus" are the definitive sources on their subjects.

Written as Dr. Wallace practices (I am among his patients) in a careful and caring way, without patronization, this book will give information and hope to anyone who suffers from this difficult and multivalent disease.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Packed with lots of information, October 22, 2002

By	Anna M. Popescu (Hanford, CA United States) - See all my reviews

"All About Fibromyalgia" is a great book! I have read half a dozen books about Fibromyalgia (several in my possession), and this book is the most informative of them all. It has more technical information than the others I've read, which helps me understand the mysteries of Fibromyalgia even more. I wish I had read this book first.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Science, March 20, 2003

By A Customer

I was fortunate enough to find this book right after I was diagnosed. It explained everything I wanted to know, and more. Each chapter or section begins with a literary quotation that brings the subject into focus. The second section is heavily scientific, and the author even recommends skipping it and reading it later. I found the second section well written, but complex. It requires several readings. Each chapter of the book ends with a "Summing Up" paragraph (especially helpful in the scientific section)that helps you remember what you just read.
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to know what is happening inside his/her body. However, it is not the best choice for someone who just wants to feel better without understanding the biology behind this complex syndrome.