Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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182 of 185 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
If there was ever a "Bible on Fibromyalgia" this is it!, August 18, 1999
By A Customer
If you can only buy one book on fibromyalgia, you have found it. Look no further! When I got my copy, I stayed up all night until I had read the whole thing (not recommended by the authors, by the way.) While written in such a fashion that a newly diagnosed fibro patient can quickly find the information they need, it is also an extremely comprehensive book for the medical profession and layman looking for a more in-depth understanding of this little-understood illness. Invaluable to family and friends, an assist to fibromyalgia patients working with the medical community, and reassuring to the reader who feels they have long suffered from a collection of painful symptoms that no one else understood, "Fibromyalgia and Myofascial Pain Syndrome" has filled a long-existing empty spot in the health section of the bookstore. When you come home from the doctor's office trying to remember which medication they prescribed, what treatment was recommended, and confusion reigns supreme, turn to this book. When your mother-in-law says "Well, my body aches and my memory is fading, and _I_ don't have fibrawhatchamacallit.", turn to this book. When your doctor pats you on the shoulder and kindly says "We are all getting older, you just need to accept it. I am writing you a prescription for your nerves." turn to this book. In addition to coprehensive and well-documented research, many resources for further information and study are given, including internet addresses. Dr. Starlanyl has for years lent her time and talents to Fibrom-L, a fibromyalgia list open to anyone with internet access, guiding and reassuring those who need her assistance. From the moment I read the foreword, I know I had finally found the answer to my prayers, knowledge that I was not alone, and this was not "all in my head." Thanks to Dr.'s Starlanyl and Copeland, countless thousands of fibromyalgia sufferers are "surviving". You are both a blessing to us all.
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176 of 179 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent book-- a long review giving some highlights, April 26, 2000
This book was written by two Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS) sufferers, one an M.D. and the other a psychologist. It covers both the technical medical theories and treatment approaches and the coping aspects in a readable and lively format. A whole section on coping strategies useful in one's relationships with family, friends, workplace and doctors is included. Other chapters deal with meditation, the body-mind connection, and how to cope with the cognitive dysfunction familiar to CFIDS patients, termed "fibrofog". The personal experiences of the authors are included in boxes along the margins of this large soft-cover book.Myofascial Pain Syndrome is discussed in detail in this book. Myofascia provide a tough film of connective tissue that surround muscle fibers and hold them in place. At the ends of the muscles, the myofascia band together to form the tendons and ligaments. The system of myofascia connect muscle groups, so that pressing on a sore area, called a trigger point, causes referred pain in another muscle trigger point. Fibromyalgia experts disagree as to the relationship between FMS and MPS, but it is clear that they often occur together in the same patient. A wide variety of techniques of physical therapy or "bodywork" are discussed as well as medical strategies for relieving pain associated with FMS and MPS. Many diagrams are included to help the reader locate various trigger points that relate to particular symptoms. The book also presents a self-help method that I found very useful for trigger point massage called "tennis ball acupressure". It uses two tennis balls, knotted inside a sock, placed under various sore spots in order to release trigger points and relax overtightened muscles along the spine or elsewhere. This and other trigger point therapies may even help in non-pain symptoms like constipation. I found the chapter entitled "Questions and Answers About Common Symptoms" fascinating. Among the interesting insights, I learned how many symptoms could be related to trigger points, including things like blurry vision and even dizziness. Weight gain is a common concern among FMS/CFIDS patients and the chapter on nutrition includes important information on the role of excess carbohydrates in contributing to excess body fat, high triglycerides, fatigue, headaches, anxiety, mood swings and sleep disturbances among other symptoms. Both authors describe their successes with low carbohydrate approaches and I found my own fatigue and many other symptoms were dramatically improved on Dr. St. Amand's suggested diet for hypoglycemia, which they discuss. This chapter also includes a discussion of food allergy/intolerance and the leaky gut syndrome, and how NSAIDS (e.g. ibuprofen or naprosyn) may contribute to these problems. An excellent chapter on fibromyalgia medications includes a brief description of 31 prescription drugs. A whole chapter is then devoted to guaifenesin, a treatment Dr. Starlanyl says she could not have written this book without. It was interesting to note that she also found guaifenesin helped her esophageal reflux (heartburn and nausea from hydrochloric acid irritating the esophagus). The authors describe Dr. St. Amand's theory for why guaifenesin may reverse an excess of phosphate and calcium hidden away in cells causing lowered energy (ATP) production and many diverse symptoms. To succeed with the guaifenesin approach, it is essential to avoid hidden salicylates and to achieve an adequate dose (also, see the new book by St. Amand & Marek for the most detailed and up-to-date information on how to use the guaifenesin and low carbohydrate diet approaches. Also, see web sites, such as www.sover.net/~devstar, http://www.guaidoc.com and http://members.aol.com/SynergyHN). On the whole, I conclude that this book provides a wealth of useful information for those diagnosed with fibromyalgia, MPS and related conditions, like chronic fatigue syndrome, and I highly recommend it. I have found the allergy reduction, the guaifenesin approach, and the low carbohydrate diet especially helpful in my own case.
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66 of 68 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Must Have Book for anyone with FMS/MPS, August 10, 2000
By A Customer
I have Devin Starlanyl's book and I highly recommend it to anyone who has FMS/MPS, or has a family member who suffers from this little understood disease. The book is very easy to understand and has helped me more than words can say. I have traveled the journey that leads to the diagnosis of "FMS" since an auto accident in 1985. Over the last 15 years, I've been trying to find ways to help my family and friends understand what I could not explain and now, with the information in this wonderful book, I have a practical tool which helps me explain what I've been dealing with. The detailed information and explantions regarding the various symptoms and challanges this disease causes, have helped my family understand my condition and has helped them adjust to the changes this disease has caused. FMS is a very complex disease and it effects each of us differently, physically, emotionally and mentally, but there is a reason why these things are happening and it has a name! And for me personally, that one fact alone has renewed my spirit and my self-esteem. It's an extremely discouraging and difficult journey of finding the right diagnosis, the correct balance of medications and appropriate treatments that work. Sometimes, the lack of understanding and the frustration can contribute to the severity of the depression those of us who have FMS/MPS find ourselves batteling. But this book offers a definative ray of hope. The wide range of information in this book provides valuable insight into the various challenges we "Fibromites" have to cope with, and for the first time in many years, it has made me feel acknowledged and validated. Thank you Devin and Mary Ellen, for letting us know the good news is that once one understands what FMS/MPS is, and finds the right diagnosis, proper therapy, and appropriate medications, there is hope! Thanks to your efforts to share your experiences and research, it is much easier for us and our families to understand and manage the day to day challenges of FMS/MPS.
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