Resources

We’ll continue to add more organizations, books, websites, and other fibromite-friendly resources. If you have a particular favorite you’d like to see included on this list, please let us know in the comments.

Government and Not-for-Profit Organizations
Canadian Institute for the Relief of Pain and Disability: The CIRPD promotes a range of educational tools and other resources to assist with fibromyalgia management.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: The CDC offers basic information about fibromyalgia – symptoms, characteristics, quality-of-life issues, and so forth.

Fall Prevention Center of Excellence: Affiliated with the University of Southern California, this non-profit organization supports HomeMods.org, a website for professionals and consumers interested in modifying their homes to meet changing health requirements.

Fibromyalgia Information Foundation: This volunteer-staffed not-for-profit is administered by faculty and staff at the Oregon Health Sciences University and is an important source of information for anyone seeking to learn more about fibromyalgia. It offers regular (and free!) conferences to share and discuss emerging trends in fibromyalgia research. [Disclosure: TPF staff have attended these conferences as guests.]

National Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain Association: This not-for-profit emphasizes patient advocacy and community building in its educational work. It offers webcasts and is a major force behind International Fibromyalgia Awareness Day.

National Institutes for Health: The NIH produces MedlinePlus, a health-information website that offers (among other resources) an interactive tutorial as well as a basic encyclopedia-style article about fibromyalgia.

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Books
Gardeners and Farmers of Terre Vivante. Preserving Food Without Freezing or Canning: Traditional Techniques Using Salt, Oil, Sugar, Alcohol, Vinegar, Drying, Cold Storage, and Lactic Fermentation. Although this book is targeted to those who choose to preserve various foods for weeks, months, and even years, there are some marvelous (and fibro-friendly!) recipes for all sorts of pantry items, from pickles to piccalilli. Some of the recipes make as little as a pint of finished food (especially the yummy condiments), so you aren’t faced with a mountain of work. Strongly recommended.

Liptan, Ginevra, M.D. Figuring out Fibromyalgia: Current Science and the Most Effective Treatments. A fibromite herself, and medical director of The Frida Center for Fibromyalgia, Dr. Liptan shares her own experiences while discussing current treatments for and approaches to fibromyalgia. A 2011 publication, this book is up-to-date on important research trends, including new examinations of the role played by the fascia. Every fibromite should read this powerful and compelling narrative. [Disclosure: TPF team members have seen Dr. Liptan professionally and have had access to an earlier version of this book; one of us has been professionally affiliated with The Frida Center.]

McGee, Harold. Keys to Good Cooking: A Guide to Making the Best of Foods and Recipes. Harold McGee, who writes about the science of food and cooking (for The New York Times, among others), has produced an authoritative book on how food and kitchens work. He covers a wide range of ingredients and preparations, describing the simple techniques on which all cooking is ultimately based. No matter how much or how little cooking experience you have, a flip through this book will reward you.

Wilke, William S., M.D. The Cleveland Clinic Guide to Fibromyalgia. This is a great overview about fibromyalgia: what it is, what it isn’t, and how it can be addressed. One flaw in an otherwise very good book is the omission of any discussion of diet and nutrition for the fibromite. Still a good resource, and one we highly recommend.

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Blogs
The Fibro Blogger Directory compiles a list of blogs that meet the following criteria: “Have an active status i.e. they blog usually once a month or more; Have original content i.e. they share your unique perspective; Are obviously about Fibro e.g. have a tag list with the word fibro in it; have fibro in their title or ‘About me’.” These filters help to ensure a focused, well-curated group of blogs. Check it out!

Possibilism.org “is a place to share information about the science of pain and the art of living with it. It is a social, open collaboration to create positive transformations in lives touched by pain.” The author is very pragmatic in his/her approach to dealing with daily life despite chronic pain. Have a look!

Portland Fibromyalgia – ME/CFS Group leader Tamara Staples blogs about fibromyalgia at Desire to Heal. She emphasizes the role of the mind-body connection in fibromyalgia management as well as the importance of empowerment and self-advocacy.

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Other Resources
Tami Stackelhouse, Fibromyalgia Coach, is a Certified Health Coach with fibromyalgia. In other words, she helps train fibromites and others to develop healthier habits, including diet and lifestyle changes, and to learn about other options for managing health issues. Her blog is great!

Chronic Illness Cat is “For those of us who need a daily dose of non-offensive humor in a life with chronic illness and/or chronic pain.” [Please be aware that "non-offensive" in this context does not mean swear-free.] I nearly wept with laughter upon reading these captions. Thanks to tigerlilymel for the recommendation.