Brad Shapero, D.C.

For some people, fibromyalgia (FM) can make life miserable. In some cases, it can be so bad a person will spend the majority of the day in bed! When FM is this intense, exercises MUST be tailored accordingly – like starting out with exercises that can be done in bed! Initially, you may only be [..]

What are the ten most important attributes of fibromyalgia (FM)? Let’s take a look! 1. FM definition: It’s characterized by widespread muscular pain and tenderness (in all four of the body’s quadrants) that’s NOT caused by inflammation or joint damage. 2. FM can be primary or secondary: Secondary FM is caused by something else (often [..]

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic, stubborn condition that many people struggle with – some to the point of being totally disabled from doing the things that are personally fulfilling. In the past, we have discussed how important it is to have a multi-disciplinary group of healthcare providers to help the FM patient manage this relentless [..]

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a condition where widespread generalized pain limits a person's ability to function, sometimes to the point of complete disability. This month, we'll look at identifying markers that may be used to determine whether a patient has FM or not. Chronic pain that arises from the muscles and joints affects nearly 20% of [..]

Last month, we reported some exciting news about the link between fibromyalgia (FM) and the importance of sleep, particularly getting to the deep sleep stage. However, we did not discuss the various strategies that YOU can use to improve your quality of sleep. Let’s take a look! Establishing a consistent and better sleep pattern is [..]

One of the most frustrating symptoms of fibromyalgia (FM) is the inability to get a good night’s sleep! Recently, at a Harvard-sponsored conference on the subject of pain, it was stated that “…no one should have to live in constant pain with what is known about pain management in this day and age (paraphrased).” Many [..]

Fibromyalgia (FM) is characterized by a whole body, widespread pain that affects millions of people and continues to be a challenge for both doctors and patients to manage. This is probably because there is no one cause that can be clearly identified with the onset of FM. The “best” approach to managing FM requires a [..]

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic disease that results in generalized pain spread out over the body and affects over 5 million people in the United States alone. Because no one has yet determined the cause of FM, both the diagnosis as well as the treatment poses a big challenge because it’s basically a trial and [..]

WHAT IS FIBROMYALGIA? FM is a relatively common chronic disorder where widespread pain, diffuse tenderness, and potentially a host of other symptoms may be present. The word “fibromyalgia” is derived from the Latin term “fibro” (fibrous tissue) and the Greek term “myo” for muscle and “algia” for pain. Even though FM is often described as [..]

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could just tell your chiropractor, primary care doctor, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant about how you’re feeling and have the condition easily diagnosed and treated? With fibromyalgia (FM), it NEVER works that way! Some doctors even think FM is a mental issue and don’t believe it’s a “real” condition. [..]