Fibromyalgia: A Physician’s Perspective
- By Trudie Mitschang
JACOB TEITELBAUM, MD, is director of the Fatigue and Fibromyalgia Practitioners Network and author of the popular free iPhone and Android application Cures A-Z and best-selling books From Fatigued to Fantastic!, Pain Free 1-2-3 — A Proven Program for Eliminating Chronic Pain Now, the Beat Sugar Addiction NOW! series, Real Cause, Real Cure, and The Fatigue and Fibromyalgia Solution. He is the lead author of four studies on effective treatment for fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, and he does frequent media appearances including “Good Morning America,” CNN, Fox News Channel, the “Dr. Oz Show” and “Oprah & Friends.” His website is www.endfatigue.com.
BSTQ: You are a former fibromyalgia patient. What was that like?
Dr. Teitelbaum: I came down with chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia during medical school. Being on the other side of the white coat was quite the eye-opener. After an extensive series of tests could not pinpoint the cause of my post-viral fatigue, my medical school professors simply presumed that I must be having “depressed med student syndrome.”
BSTQ: Why are fibromyalgia patients so frequently misdiagnosed?
Dr. Teitelbaum: Because there is no lab test that is specific for diagnosing fibromyalgia, and, like most immune dysfunctions, it is an illness that predominantly affects women. We saw the same thing years ago with multiple sclerosis, which used to be called “hysterical paralysis.” Rheumatoid arthritis and lupus were also considered illnesses of neurotic women. Once a specific test was developed for each of these illnesses, these patients magically went from being neurotic to having a real disease. It’s sad, but the perspective can be understood by looking at the medical word hysteria, which comes from the Latin hystero, or uterus. Even with half of physicians now being women, this old and abusive medical stereotype persists.
BSTQ: How does your approach to treatment differ from traditional medicine?
Dr. Teitelbaum: Traditional medicine offers three medications that essentially are Band-Aids for pain, and then tells people to live with the illness, while insinuating that they are crazy and simply need to exercise more. Our research and clinical experience, and that of many other physicians, has shown that fibromyalgia represents an energy crisis where people have essentially “blown a fuse” called the hypothalamus. The hypothalamic circuit breaker controls sleep, which is why the symptom of severe insomnia in the presence of widespread pain and fatigue is so helpful in diagnosing the illness. Our approach helps to restore energy production while eliminating unnecessary energy drains, allowing the hypothalamic circuit breaker to turn back on. Fortunately, a wide array of natural therapies can be very helpful for people with fibromyalgia.
BSTQ: What changes are needed by our medical system to effectively treat chronic illness?
Dr. Teitelbaum: Both my personal experience and that of countless people with fibromyalgia have shown that other healthcare disciplines, from acupuncture to naturopathy and nutrition, have much to offer in terms of helping people with fibromyalgia. Yet, most physicians have not a clue regarding the rationale behind other health modalities. This can change if health practitioners from different backgrounds simply start to speak with each other and share their experiences and
= perspectives.
