The study appears in the April issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, a peer-reviewed and indexed general internal medicine journal, published for 75 years by Mayo Foundation. Fibromyalgia is characterized by a cluster of symptoms that include diffuse pain, stiffness and fatigue. The 1990 American College of Rheumatology criteria for diagnosing fibromyalgia are widespread pain and tenderness at 11 of 18 specific tender points. Fibromyalgia is perceived by many people as a disabling condition. Almost 20 percent of fibromyalgia patients have applied for disability benefits, and more than seven percent have received such benefits.
Many patients also suffer from poor sleep due to the pain and discomfort of their fibromyalgia.
Treating symptoms more effectively can also improve the sleep of these patients. Fibromyalgia is a frustrating condition without a known cause or a widely accepted treatment, and current therapeutic practices are often inadequate. Brief, intense programs provide an approach for treating patients who stay in the area for only a few days. The FTP is a three-part interdisciplinary program. The first half-day involves evaluation of patients by a nurse and a physician, including medical, physical, psychological, educational and pharmacological assessments.