When I was first diagnosed with fibromyalgia, I had lots of questions: What am I dealing with? Is this going to change my life? What are the best treatments? I’m sure you feel the same way.
If you type “fibromyalgia” into Google, there are more than 16 MILLION results. It can be overwhelming, particularly for someone who is new to the condition.
And quite frankly, most of the information online about fibro isn’t that good. You’re going to find lots of companies hawking their supplements or devices with promises of a “cure.” You’re going to run into doctors and other “medical experts” who do blog posts on fibromyalgia and give an overly simplified view of this very complicated condition. (“Just get some sleep and take a walk and you’ll be cured!” If only it were that easy!) You’re going to encounter pharmaceutical companies promoting their expensive drugs, which work for some and not for others.
It’s hard to know who to trust out in the Wild West of the Internet, so I’ve compiled a few trusted links to help get you started. I consider these to be some of the best sites online for information about fibromyalgia.
What are your favorite fibro sites? Email me at donna@fedupwithfatigue.com.
National Fibromyalgia Association – NFA’s site has a very comprehensive “About Fibro” section that’s perfect for those newly diagnosed. The association also publishes a quarterly online magazine and has an active facebook page.
National Fibromyalgia & Chronic Pain Association – Like the NFA, the NFCPA has an in-depth “Fibromyalgia” section. The site also includes links to support groups, a healthcare provider directory and too many other things to list. Definitely worth a look!
Mayo Clinic – A good, basic primer on what fibro is, its symptoms, treatments and common sense tips for managing it.
About Health Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue – Writer Adrienne Dellwo has built an extensive fibro portal at About Health. It’s so thorough, you could probably spend months reading about fibro on this site.
Health Rising – Anyone who reads my weekly news roundups will know I’m a huge fan of Health Rising. Writer Cort Johnson does an excellent job at covering the latest fibro research.
Daily Strength – Daily Strength offers online support groups for a number of conditions, including fibro. There’s also a feature that allows you to read reviews for certain treatments.
ClinicalTrials.gov – This site provides a searchable database of clinical trials, in case you’re interested in participating in ongoing research.
I’m Donna, a longtime newspaper reporter, health writer and chronic illness thriver! Fed Up with Fatigue provides weekly news, research, treatments and more to help you live better with fibromyalgia and/or Lyme.