Fibromyalgia Resource

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Reprinted with permission

Mary Biancalana, CMTPT, Fibromyalgia Clinics of America located in Chicago, http://www.paragonclinic.com/ has over 15 years experience as a certified personal trainer, and as a certified trigger point therapist, Mary specializes in myofascial therapy and self-care training for fibromyalgic patients. Over the past few years Mary has fitted many fibromyalgia patients with proprioceptive insoles to remove a significant perpetuating factor (Rothbart's foot) responsible for chronic pain. Below are several questions answered by Mary during an interview with GRD BioTech Incorportated (Tacoma Washington).

Do you only treat fibromyalgia patients?

We are fibromyalgia specialists. Typically 70% of our patients have fibromyalgia and the remaining patients present with myofascial pain syndrome or a single muscle area episode of myofascial dysfunction. We deal with long standing muscle pain as opposed to rehabilitation from car accidents or acute pain.

The Link between Fibromyalgia and Posture

One Example: This lady had been having back and shoulder pain. She was an assistant to an endodontist; she was about 56 years old just slightly overweight, but nothing major. She had two sons in college and really wanted to do everything she could to support them, but she had so much pain in her life in general, her back, her shoulder, and her knees that it prevented her from seeing one of her sons last two years of high school football because she just couldn’t sit in the bleachers. She was diagnosed with fibromyalgia before she came to our clinic. She had a wonderful attitude, but terrible knee, hip, back, and shoulder pain. Her posture was hunched over not only from the pain, but probably from her work as well. She was able to work, but when she came home she was exhausted and had to lie down.

We evaluated her need for Posture Control Insoles. She was a severe hyperpronator and actually needed 9mm insoles. Her hyperpronation was unbelievable. We started her out in a 3.5 mm (Patient was fitted with Proprioceptive Insoles) She felt so much better she was able to start going to a Curves exercise center. 4-5 weeks later we took her up to a 6mm. pair. By now her pain is decreasing rapidly. She is barely at a 4-5. She is able to do more. She drove to visit her sons in college. She went to their weekend games. She was able to work and not get so tired.

By the time we got her into a 9mm. pair and she had a follow up appointment with Dr. McNett, he actually downgraded her to a non-fibromyalgia patient, downgraded by a fibromyalgia specialist. He felt that it was unnecessary to continue treatment of her tender-points. She did not even have 11 of 18 original tender-points. She had almost complete resolution. She was very active in the self care program and she took her exercises seriously. She did not return to the clinic for more than 18 months and then she would just call me once in a while to check in.

Comment by Prof/Dr. Brian A. Rothbart

Does this mean that all Fibromyalgia patients, in reality, are only suffering from chronic pain syndrome resulting from poor posture? No. However, it does suggest that all patients suffering from fibromyalgia need to have a postural evaluation as part of their examination.