In march I created a poll and reached out to a group on facebook dedicated to those with fibromyalgia. I was curious about what kind of medical practitioner was most helpful in both the diagnosis and treatment of their fibromyalgia. Just under 200 people directly answered the poll.
Here are the results:
77 People voted for their General Practitioner
47 People voted for their Rheumatologist
21 People voted for Pain Management
11 People voted for their Neurologist
5 People voted for their "Therapist". It was not clear or specified what kind of therapist they were referring to.
1 Person voted for their Osteopath
1 Person voted for their Nurse Practitioner
1 Person voted for their Physiotherapist.
Interestingly enough there was one more vote with a whopping
28 people and many comments that stated that:
NO ONE HAD HELPED!
In fact, it's a common theme I see over and over again in both my clients and in support groups online.
Did you know:
According to the National Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain Association, it takes approximately 5 years on average for a person with fibromyalgia to receive that diagnosis.
This is echoed over and over from the clients I see as well as those sharing their experiences online.