Understanding Fibromyalgia
1.35 Contact Hours
To successfully complete this course and receive your certificate, you must read the content online or in the downloadable PDF, pass the post test with a 70% or better, and complete the evaluation form July 10, 2021.
The price of this course is $15.00. You will only be asked to pay for the course if you decide to grade the post examination to earn a certificate with contact hours.
Corexcel is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation (ANCC).
It is Corexcel's policy to ensure fair balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor in all programming. In compliance with the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) we require that faculty disclose all financial relationships with commercial interests over the past 12 months.
No planning committee member has indicated a relevant financial relationship with a commercial interest involved with the content contained in this course.
Corexcel's provider status through ANCC is limited to educational activities. Neither Corexcel nor the ANCC endorse commercial products.
Course Objectives
After completing this course participants should be able to:
- Identify the hallmark symptoms of fibromyalgia.
- Explain the potential causes of the disorder.
- Identify and list four tender point sites.
- Know diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia established by the American College of Rheumatology.
- Describe pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches in treating fibromyalgia.
- List three comorbidities.
What Is Fibromyalgia?
Over six million Americans have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia. The American College of Rheumatology reports that as many as one in fifty Americans suffer from fibromyalgia. The disorder ranks second after osteoporosis as one of the most common complaints that are seen by rheumatologists.
Research has shown that clinicians often struggle to diagnose a patient with fibromyalgia; people with this disorder typically see several doctors before receiving the final diagnosis. Considerable studies have been conducted to identify the social impact, symptoms, causes and treatment options for this demoralizing condition (Harth et al., 2007).
Social Impact
To better understand the societal significance of fibromyalgia, let's first examine a few quick facts regarding the disorder:
- Fibromyalgia costs the United States approximately $12-$14 billion annually.
- Fibromyalgia accounts for a loss of 1 to 2% of the nation's overall productivity.
The National Fibromyalgia Association adds that employers spend an additional $50 to $100 for every dollar spent on fibromyalgia claims. This excess money is spent on both direct and indirect expenses related to the disorder.
The economic burden caused by fibromyalgia is also in part because the annual cost for claimants was more than double the amount of the typical insurance beneficiary. Failure to properly diagnose fibromyalgia results in additional visits to other doctors and specialists, exasperating the expense to the patients and insurance companies.