Archive for the ‘mindfulness’ Category

Fibromyalgia and the attempt to quantify and describe the pain

Friday, September 21st, 2007

“We also often add to our own pain and suffering by being overly sensitive, over-reacting to minor things, and sometimes taking things too personally”, Tenzin Gyatso, The 14th Dali Lama quote 1.75_finalist_PMS877

One of the difficult issues that people with fibromyalgia grapple with is trying to describe their pain to others. Words such as ache, raw, ragged, searing, blistering, shocking, nagging pain do not always convey the message; the list of adjectives is endless. The vocabulary is not precise and it can be a daunting task to find the right words. Even more frustrating is that the nature of the pain itself changes, sometimes from hour to hour or day to day. Equally as  problematic are the areas of the body where the pain attacks, as that too can vary from one place to another or, pain can occur in several areas of the body simultaneously.

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Meditation, Freeze-Frame (R) and Fibromyalgia

Monday, June 18th, 2007

1064“Meditation brings wisdom; lack of meditation leaves ignorance. Know well what leads you forward and what holds you back, and choose the path that leads to wisdom”, Buddha

Since there aren’t any standardized ‘scientific‘ medical tests which can be done to diagnose fibromyalgia, it stands to reason that there isn’t a cure, and there aren’t many Western medical treatments other than pharmaceuticals that can provide some relief from pain or help with sleep. People with fibromyalgia have to become the experts of their own lives. We are responsible for finding ways to manage the challenges we face on a day-to-day basis as there are few others who can help us with this search.

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