FIBROMYALGIA - RECOGNIZING AND ADDRESSING THE MULTIPLE INTERRELATED FACTORS

Recognition of fibromyalgia is crucial to avoid extraneous, costly dia gnostic testing and ineffective, potentially dangerous therapy. Furthe rmore, failure to recognize that symptomatic physiologic change does r esult in a patient's response to stress demeans the legitimate importa nce of psychiatric disease. The keys to successful therapy are (1) spe cific pharmacologic manipulation of important processes and prognostic factors, (2) participation in aerobic exercise, which increases time spent in stages 3 and 4 (non-rapid eye movement) sleep and reduces str ess, and (3) education, which reduces worry and perceived stress.