Movement should be slow and consistent, and muscle stretching should be included in the patient s exercise plan. FM is generally a chronic condition that can last for years or an entire lifetime. It may come and go over time. Whether and how much a person is disabled by FM, however, often depends on how willing they are to manage their symptoms. Patients should avoid unnecessary and unproven treatments.
Vocational counseling is often a necessary aid in returning to nonphysically demanding work.
Many researchers and physicians suspect that FM and CFS are one and the same because many of the symptoms are similar and so many patients with one illness also fit the diagnostic criteria for the other. Sometimes whether a person is diagnosed with FM or CFS depends on which of the two illnesses is more familiar to their doctor. Despite the confusion, patients and doctors alike should be aware of important differences. People who have CFS only do not have a minimum of 11 positive tender points, one of the two criteria for diagnosing FM that has been established by the American College of Rheumatology. Even though there are differences, some physicians argue that the confusion or misdiagnosis, as the case may be, should not impact the choice of treatment.