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Looking for information? Our booklets and documents can all be viewed online as PDF's and as text. Click here to view them online. If you would like a physical copy of our booklets, you can request a copy for free using our Resource Request form.
We don't charge for our resources, but some people choose to make a donation. This helps with covering postage and printing costs. If you would like to make a donation, you can find ways on how to make your donation here.
Guardian Article - How to move: exercising with fibromyalgia
This article from the Guardian highlights the dilemma that a lot of people with fibromyalgia have when it comes to exercise, as well as some suggestions for slow and gradual exercises which can be of benefit to general health.
"Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that causes widespread muscle pain and tenderness. It is often accompanied by fatigue, altered sleep, cognitive disturbance and emotional distress. It usually develops in middle adulthood and affects more women than men. In Australia, fibromyalgia affects 2% to 5% of the population."
Harvard Article - CBD for chronic pain: The science doesn’t match the marketing
We have a lot of conversations about CBD and cannabis and these have increased since NICE started looking into it. The culture around it is changing as well to make it easier to talk about it in terms that accept that it may have medical benefits and we should at least be looking at this.
But there are a lot of claims and suppliers that are promising the moon when there is a lack of evidence and people are trying to take advantage of the current lack of regulation within CBD oil.
So it is positive to see articles like the one below from Harvard University that try to give a reasoned view of the current status and although it is American in its view there is a lot of information here that is relevant within the UK.
FMA UK supports the calls amongst other pain / health charities that there is a need for more research that establishes not only efficacy but safety and other drug interactions.
To read the article, click here.
Jenny Timms: How heat can impact my fibromyalgia
When it comes to seasons like many, I used to look forward to the summer months where I could enjoy the sunshine by lazy days in the garden sunbathing, gardening, daytrips at the beach enjoying an ice cream whilst the sun beat down on me or else I would track the sun by going abroad to a hot climate, that was until I developed fibromyalgia.
Today I am finding myself doing the opposite, wishing that we have a cold spell all year round, why, you must be wondering, well the reason is that those long-awaited hot days now cause me to sufferer terribly!
As the temperature rises so does my distress because my skin feels like it is blistering burning all over, I cannot even bear cloth next to my skin and trying to find a comfortable position is impossible because any areas of pressure feels raw and prickly.
How many times have you heard the advice to “pace yourself?"
The article below was writen by Stacey Lake regarding her fibromyalgia management and highlights a new audio channel which her wife and her are running.
It’s recommended to Fibromyalgia warriors to do 20 minutes of activity and then rest. However, what nobody tells you is how long to rest for.
There’s no hard and fast rule for this, unfortunately. I know that is probably not what you want to hear, but as with most things concerning Fibromyalgia, nothing is certain. No two of us are the same and everything depends; how your pain is on that particular day, how your fatigue is, what your circumstances are, how your mental health is, whether you need to do dinner, pick up the kids, go to work, walk the dogs, do some chores, even something as simple as taking yourself to the toilet or turning on a light. On any given day our abilities vary and that is one of the most frustrating things about this disease in my opinion. Luckily, we live in a time where help can be, quite literally, at our fingertips.
FMA UK Statement on Medicinal Cannabis
From our posts, you should be aware that we are eager to support research looking into all treatment options that could potentially help people living with fibromyalgia. We are registered stakeholders in various consultations by NICE, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, who provide national guidance on the use of medicines. Our involvement includes participation in their guidance on the use of medicinal cannabis. We have also linked up with other lobbying or research groups in this area too. Further research is required to better understand the benefits (and consequences) of alternative therapies for fibromyalgia, including medicinal cannabis.
Firstly, we would like to clarify some definitions. According to the NHS website ( https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/medical-cannabis/ ):
"Medical cannabis" is a broad term for any sort of cannabis-based medicine used to relieve symptoms. Many cannabis-based products are available to buy online, but their quality and content is not known. They may be illegal and potentially dangerous.
Some products that might claim to be medical cannabis, such as "CBD oil" or hemp oil, are available to buy legally as food supplements from health stores. But there's no guarantee these are of good quality or provide any health benefits.
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Highlights
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- National Helpline 0300 999 3333 (10am - 4pm Mon - Fri)
- Benefits Helpline 0300 999 0055 (10am - 12pm Mon, Wed and Fri)
- Complimentary information booklets for doctors and other professionals (fully referenced)
- Books and videos
- Website Contacts with legal specialists
- Conferences
- Local support group and helpline contacts
If your Health Care Professional needs some education in fibromyalgia you can request that an FMA UK Health Professionals Pack is sent out to them. All we need is the name of the Health CareProfessional and the address of their practice. We will then send a pack to their surgery addressed from us to them.
You can request a medical pack using this form.
You can find a Support Group near you by contacting the Regional Coordinator for your area. If there does not happen to be a support group near you then maybe you can join with some other members and set one up. Support groups provide a social benefit as well as the opportunity to share tips on coping with fibro. They come in all shapes and sizes and we are often told how they have helped people.
