Shedding light on a very painful disease

Imagine getting out of bed in the morning and experiencing so much pain that you can't even walk to the shower. Consider having to quit your job because the pain is so intense that you can't endure even an hour of the workday.

And now imagine that nobody believes your pain is real because "you look fine."

That is the painful reality for patients with fibromyalgia, an arthritis-related condition that affects more than six million people across the country, mostly women, and is twice as prevalent as rheumatoid arthritis. Considered one of the most widespread pain conditions, fibromyalgia is largely misunderstood because its causes are not fully known, and there's no test for it, making a diagnosis very difficult. In fact, it takes an average of five years for a patient to get an accurate diagnosis.

Educating people about fibromyalgia is not only essential for patients to get help they need, but also for the families, friends and co-workers who can't fully sympathize with a disease that lacks outward physical symptoms.

Recently Illinois legislators have taken notable steps to shed light on fibromyalgia. A resolution was recently passed in the House to proclaim Fibromyalgia Awareness Day in Illinois. A number of state representatives have taken it one step further by hosting community forums to help residents understand diagnosis and treatment options. Recent forums were held in Mokena, Decatur and East Peoria and upcoming events are planned for Arlington Heights and Plainfield this summer.

I applaud these efforts of our state legislators and encourage them to keep an ongoing dialogue about this disease. The outlook for people with fibromyalgia has never been better, but appropriate treatment programs are only possible with education, awareness and recognition. After all, shedding light on this invisible disease will finally allow millions of people to stop suffering in silence.

Michael McNett, MD Fibromyalgia Treatment Centers of America Hoffman Estates, Elk Grove Village and Chicago