FM CME Includes NFMCPA President

Good news! - A new fibromyalgia CME (continuing medical education) online program to educate doctors about diagnosing and treating FM included NFMCPA President Jan Chambers as a member of the faculty. She carried the personal concerns and comments from the many people who commented on the NFMCPA Facebook.

This was a BIG first for the FM community to include a patient advocacy leader in the filming to contribute insights in a formal medical education program along with three other panel members (family medicine practitioner, psychiatrist, and patient). Three of the highlights from FB comments were: 1) It is important that people with fibromyalgia are treated with understanding and respect while being encouraged to work together in partnership with the healthcare provider to find effective treatments. 2) A combination of non-pharmacological treatments also helps relieve symptoms, and people would like to be more comfortable to discuss them, as well as medications, during medical appointments. 3) FM is not a psychological illness but has strong evidence-based research results showing many physical abnormalities (neurochemical and central nervous system) in the person with fibromyalgia.

(left to right:  Dr. Lesley Arnold, Annette Schwind, Jan Chambers, Dr. Bill McCarberg)

Listening closely to the conversation.

(left to right:  Jan Chambers, Dr. Bill McCarberg)