| Fibromyalgia specialists may be rheumatologists, | | | | to get a good night sleep. |
| neurologists, pain management specialists or | | | | Some fibromyalgia specialists believe that the pain |
| acupuncture, massage, and hypnotic therapists. | | | | itself associated with the condition causes the |
| While a general practitioner may be the first to | | | | sleep disturbances. |
| suspect fibromyalgia, doctors who diagnose the | | | | As such, such fibromyalgia doctors primarily focus |
| syndrome follow a set of guidelines created by | | | | on efforts to relieve the pain. |
| the American College of Rheumatology in 1990. | | | | In this perspective, the problem is viewed as a |
| In order to make a final diagnosis of fibromyalgia, | | | | vicious circle or sorts: meaning the pain makes it |
| doctors examine a patient for tenderness or pain | | | | difficult to sleep and the lack of sleep, in turn, |
| at 11 of 18 different points throughout the body. | | | | engenders more pain, which, in turn, makes it |
| These are sometimes called tender points but | | | | harder to sleep. The key is to break the cycle. |
| fibromyalgia specialists use the term trigger points | | | | Researchers are unclear at this time about which |
| to refer to areas on the body where intense pain | | | | comes first. Most fibromyalgia doctors attempt to |
| is felt, or when pressure applied to them can | | | | treat both the pain and the sleep disturbances, |
| cause pain in different parts of the body. | | | | but then there are typically other symptoms as |
| Pain at tender points and pain that has been | | | | well, which means that some people who suffer |
| ongoing and widespread for at least three months | | | | from fibromyalgia find themselves taking |
| are the only guidelines that fibromyalgia doctors | | | | numerous prescription medications, which |
| can use to make the diagnosis. | | | | themselves can create a host of problems! |
| Lab tests and X-rays will all come back normal. It | | | | One product that may not be mentioned by |
| is not unusual for people to consult a number of | | | | fibromyalgia specialists, but that has been |
| doctors before a fibromyalgia specialist familiar | | | | recommended by patients who suffer from the |
| with the condition can finally give a name to the | | | | syndrome is mangosteen. |
| pain that the person has been feeling for months | | | | The mangosteen is a fruit that grows mostly in |
| and sometimes for years. | | | | southeast Asia and has recently been introduced |
| While pain is the primary symptom associated | | | | to the rest of the world in the form of a health |
| with the syndrome, sleep disturbances occur in | | | | drink. |
| 90% of people with fibromyalgia. | | | | Mangosteen juice may not have come to the |
| Doctors then must attempt to treat the sleep | | | | attention of most fibromyalgia doctors yet, but |
| disturbances, as well. Deep sleep is necessary for | | | | some people who suffer from the condition have |
| muscle tissues to regenerate and repair normal | | | | found that it reduces their pain and increases their |
| damage done on a daily basis. | | | | ability to sleep, as well as reducing their need for |
| Some fibromyalgia specialists believe that muscle | | | | prescription medications. |
| pain occurs in patient's with the syndrome, | | | | This is because the mangosteen contains natural |
| because of sleep disturbances, since that the | | | | Cox-2 inhibitors and anti-inflammatory constituents |
| muscles are deprived of the complete | | | | that can help to mitigate pain. |
| regenerative process. | | | | Although not a fibromyalgia doctor per se, Dr. J |
| These fibromyalgia doctors may focus on treating | | | | Templeman, M.D., has dealt with many patients |
| the sleep disturbances by prescribing different | | | | who suffer from the condition. |
| medications or therapies that can allow the patient | | | | |