LOGAN, Utah--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The National Fibromyalgia & Chronic Pain Association (NFMCPA), a global community supporting individuals living with fibromyalgia (FM) and other chronic pain illnesses, announces the kick-off of its national awareness campaign "CARE & Make Fibromyalgia Visible," Fibromyalgia Awareness Day, Sunday, May 12, 2013 – and throughout the month of May. NFMCPA calls upon individuals living with FM and their friends, family and caregivers to contribute, advocate, participate in research, as well as to educate others about fibromyalgia, a common illness involving long-term, body-wide pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances, memory problems and impaired functionality.
“We have had an overwhelmingly positive response to this campaign -- with thousands of people participating in events across the country – validating our conviction that chronic pain, including fibromyalgia, is a public health crisis,” says Jan Favero Chambers, president and founder, NFMCPA. “It’s critical that those living with chronic pain raise their collective voices in order to turn the tide against the often devastating impact of chronic pain on individuals, families, communities and the nation.”
While there is no cure for fibromyalgia (FM), interdisciplinary team approaches that include medications, alternative therapies and lifestyle changes can help manage symptoms. Women are much more likely than men to develop FM, according to the Mayo Clinic. Appropriately, Fibromyalgia Awareness Day takes place over Mother’s Day weekend and includes:
- Thunderclap, Midnight, May 11, 2013: individuals worldwide will concurrently post the "CARE & Make Fibromyalgia Visible" logo via Facebook and Twitter.
- The Walk to CURE FM: numerous walks throughout the country.
- Fibromyalgia Proclamations & Declarations: outreach program encourages officials to declare May 12 Fibromyalgia Awareness Day in their jurisdiction.
To address controversies, prejudices and the life-altering effect of fibromyalgia, NFMCPA offers:
- FM patient education, including symptom management
- Coordinated advocacy for research for new treatments
- National representation in Washington, D.C., working with legislators and reporting on national legislative activity
- Programs to train networked leaders to organize responsive and proactive grass-roots efforts
- Assistance by state regarding Medicaid Drug Use Review Boards and Pharmaceutical and Treatment Committees
- FM diagnostic and treatment medical education for healthcare professionals
Rae Marie Gleason, Medical Education and Research Director, NFMCPA, adds, “Our goal is to educate patients, the medical community, the public, government agencies and scientists about the importance of timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment of FM and overlapping conditions to gain optimal outcomes for this patient population.”
About the National Fibromyalgia & Chronic Pain Association (NFMCPA)
NFMCPA, a not-for-profit organization, supports individuals living with fibromyalgia and other chronic pain illnesses by raising awareness through community outreach, education, advocacy and networking. Visit: http://www.fmcpaware.org/, www.facebook.com/nfmcpa, www.twitter.com/fmcpaware.
