fibromyalgia and healing

[Guest guest]

Hi All,

 

There is also the question of " what is cure " ? Is health only the complete

absence of disease and symptoms? As a person living with fibromyalgia, I don't

expect I will ever be completely rid of it, but I have been experiencing greater

health and fewer symptoms over time. I still have exacerbations and remissions,

and imagine I always will. It is a part of my life that requires time,

attention and care - sometimes more, sometimes less - but it no longer obstructs

my functioning. Could I have a more productive life without it? Definitely

yes, but is that the measure of health? Could I be happier without it? More

comfortable yes, but I'm pretty happy as I am. I think it's important to look

at the big picture - the sum total of our patients' lives - when we are trying

to answer the question of what healing is. Perhaps (and I believe this) the

best definition of health is self-defined by each individual. Example: if a

person comes to me for shoulder pain and I decide that a

complete " cure " would include greater range of motion, but their pain is gone

long before the full range of motion is restored, whose definition of " healthy "

is valid? The patient is satisfied and ready to leave treatment. I have met

their health goal. Is it proper that my health goal should be different from

theirs? I can educate them about how full range of motion can preclude the

return of the pain at a later time, but in their mind, they are now " healed " .

In my experience, patients' definitions of health should receive first priority

over any other agenda I may have about helping them achieve a " more complete "

healing. To be honest, I think we all live in the " grey area " between complete

wellness and some degree of health complaints, most of the time. As a

practitioner, I view my role in my patients' lives as being an ally in their

journeys toward greater health as they define it.

 

 

 

< wrote:

, " " <zrosenbe@s...>

wrote:

>

> There is a large grey area between total cure and palliation. The

> Nan Jing-based system I learned (that was inspired by Michael

> Broffman's work) looks at chronic diseases as having a specific course

> of multi-factorial development (including, as you mentioned, taxation,

> diet, overuse of medications).

 

I think we are in agreement here.

 

 

 

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