Five Questions to Ask Your Doctor About Fibromyalgia

Online, May 20, 2013 (Newswire.com) - If you are among the estimated five million Americans who have fibromyalgia syndrome (FM)-or suspect you might be among them-then getting accurate information about the condition is the first step toward an effective course of treatment. Nobody is better equipped to give you this information than your doctor following a thorough physical examination. Of course, in order to get a firm grip on understanding your FM, you have to ask your doctor the right questions.

Here are five basic questions to ask your doctor about FM:

1. What is FM? Your doctor will explain how FM encompasses a range of symptoms that can include low back pain, recurrent headaches, arthritis, muscle spasm, tingling, balance problems and many others. Additionally, common FM symptoms may encompass memory problems, digestive problems, fatigue and sleep disorders.

2. Can regular exercise give me some relief? It seems like a contradiction, but some research suggests that hitting the gym and getting regular exercise may produce relief from FM pain. Your doctor may say it is okay to exercise through your "normal" pain levels, but if exercise causes the pain to worsen significantly, back off.

3. Will eating right help my FM symptoms? No diet, no matter how well planned, will "cure" fibromyalgia. But your doctor may point out that a diet rich in antioxidants (e.g., full of fruits and vegetables) can help individuals with this condition maximize their health by minimizing the level of oxidative stress that can occur in the body's tissues.

4. Where does my FM pain originate? Although in a prior era FM patients came under the care of rheumatologists, this view has since evolved. Your doctor will tell you that FM is a disorder of the central nervous system.

5. How can I sleep better at night? Your doctor will explain what you might already suspect: Sleep quality plays a major role in the severity of FM symptoms. Many FM patients report a lack of restful sleep. New York-based Tonix Pharmaceuticals is reformulating an existing muscle relaxant called cyclobenzaprine-which exerts its effects via receptors in the brain-into a low-dose sleep aid to be taken in under-the-tongue tablet form at bedtime, and is betting that it will offer the key to better treatment. Tonix will be testing its drug through 2013.

For more information, please visit www.tonixpharma.com.