by Chet Cunningham
An in-depth look at Fibromyalgia and how to deal physically, mentally and emotionally with the everyday pain.
Reviewed by: Beth Williams
About Beth Williams
Feel like you’ve just been hit by a truck or maybe like you’ve just run the Boston Marathon? Ears ringing? Tired all of the time? Just plain sore? If you are one of the thousands of Americans who suffers from fibromyalgia, the invisible illness, you know what I’m talking about. If you aren’t a FM patient, chances are you have a family member, a friend or a co-worker who is, and here’s the chance to learn more, to delve into the everyday challenges of the chronic illness.
“The Fibromyalgia Relief Handbook” is a great reference tool for newly diagnosed FM patients, old timers and family members. Chet Cunningham takes readers on a step-by-step journey through fibromyalgia, offering a variety of methods to ease the pain, ranging from medical treatment to simple lifestyle changes.
One of the most simple forms of therapy, Cunningham points out, is laughter. Perhaps I use the word simple too lightly, however, knowing all too well that when you’re dealing with pain, it isn’t always easy to laugh.
Life with FM can be downright stressful. Cunningham discusses in-depth the positive and negative aspects of stress on fibromyalgia, including ways to gauge your own stress levels. He also offers various methods for reducing that stress. An example of a method of alleviating your stress: keep a daily journal. Some people call it a pain journal, different from your regular journal. Your pain journal allows you to vent, to get that anger out, to acknowledge your pain. It’s also a great way to help you remember the bad days don’t last forever!
Cunningham breaks the handbook into chapters focusing on all aspects of fibromyalgia from “What causes Fibromyalgia” to “Start a Support Group.” He also includes a dictionary of medical terms you may be unfamiliar with as well a “Fats Per Gram Serving Chart” which may help you if you consider changing your diet. After all, as Cunningham discusses, diet plays an important role in the FM patient’s life.
Most people who don’t deal with pain on a daily basis don’t understand the profound effect it can have on your home life and your work life, if you’re healthy enough to work. And, you have to learn to adjust your lifestyle when you travel. Long days aren’t as easy as they used to be. Cunningham deals with all of those issues, including how to cope with the depression that so many suffer as a result of FM.
The great thing about “The Fibromyalgia Handbook” is the variety of methods offered to help you deal with your pain. You may not like taking drugs, so you might want to skip ahead to alternative therapies or exercise therapy. Or you might prefer trying vitamins. This book offers a wealth of information and ways to help you cope with FM.
Definitely give “The Fibromyalgia Handbook” a read. It’s an invaluable tool for FM sufferers and their families.
Click here to buy this book, or read more about it at Amazon.com: The Fibromyalgia Relief Handbook
Copyright © by Beth Williams, 2003
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