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FMS, or Fibromyalgia Syndrome, is perhaps one of the most misunderstood and misdiagnosed conditions around. Characterized by unexplained aching, muscle pain and stiffness, fatigue and occasional confusion (known affectionately as Fibro Fog), Fibromyalgia is incurable, but not entirely untreatable.

Most Fibromyalgia sufferers are women, though it can affect men. Many sufferers report the onset of symptoms after a significant event such as a car accident or childbirth, particularly if the birth was difficult, but some say they have had the disease since birth or early childhood. I've had it since I was a child and can remember my legs aching so badly when I was four years old that my mother would wrap them tightly in warm towels just so I could go to sleep.

There is no lab test to determine whether a patient has Fibromyalgia. Doctors must rely on a system of pressing Tender Points, spots on the patient's body which produce considerable pain that doesn't correspond to the amount of pressure applied. Unfortunately, some doctors either don't believe that Fibromyalgia is a real condition or overlook it as a diagnosis, resulting in frustration for the patient, useless prescriptions, unnecessary lab tests and often multiple visits to multiple doctors before an accurate diagnosis is finally made.

Sleep, or lack thereof, is often blamed for creating or exacerbating symptoms. But talk to a typical Fibro sufferer, and you'll hear about a lot more than that. Stress, for example, can cause symptoms to worsen. A particular type or duration of exercise. Even excitement a positive form of stress. A reaction to a medication can cause a flare-up of symptoms. Even changes in air pressure, such as those that precede thunder or snow storms can be triggers, too. And sometimes, there's no discernable reason at all.

Doctors, usually those specializing in rheumatology, typically recommend a healthy diet, moderate exercise, stress reduction and improved sleep to ease the pain. Some prescribe sleep medication, such as Ambien. Others prescribe tri-cyclic antidepressants, not necessarily for depression itself, but to help the patient get to sleep and stay asleep. Pain medications are often prescribed as well, such as Vioxx (which has, unfortunately, being taken off the market because of its heart attack risk) or those that contain narcotics, such as Percocet or Vicodin.
Some of us prefer a more natural route: meditation to reduce stress, homeopathic remedies for pain, natural medicines to aid

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