I have always had a fear of public speaking. Well, almost always. It started in sixth grade. Before that, I was a typical Russian overachieving student, always raising my hand to answer questions and being called to the blackboard to solve the most challenging problems. 

In sixth grade, my...

My daughter and I went shopping for a homecoming dress last weekend. She is in ninth grade, and this is a new experience for both of us. It took us a few stores and fitting rooms, but we got “the dress.”

Now, as a mother, I can glance at the dress and “appraise” it within...

I remember an elderly patient who flared her autoimmune condition after riding a roller coaster – she thought she would die from a heart attack! Two days after riding it, she was in my office complaining of swollen joints. She described the distinct fear she experienced, her body feeling...

 The International Association for the Study of Pain defines pain as "An unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with, or resembling that associated with, actual or potential tissue damage."   

Most of us think that the amount of pain we experience is...

Over the last several months, I had many patients who reported significant improvement in pain.  They all had similar symptoms of all-over pain, stiffness, and fatigue, not feeling better with pain medications.  They had similar lifestyles – diet with a significant amount of sugar...

When my oldest was in kindergarten and learning how to read, his younger siblings were 3 and 4 years old. They were fascinated with reading and wanted to learn how to read as well. I was in medical school and between classes, I was studying and managing the household full of kids and chores....

When I think about fibromyalgia treatment, I think of three pillars. All three pillars are needed to hold the load properly. The longer you had fibromyalgia, the heavier the load. It is a balancing act to erect and maintain the pillars.

The first pillar of fibro is education. Understanding...

The diagnosis of fibromyalgia evolved over time. Like many other disorders, the progress of medical science keeps revising how fibromyalgia is diagnosed. Although fibro has been a health problem dating back thousands of years, the formal recognition of the disorder by the World Health...

As I explained in my previous post, fibromyalgia is linked to the central sensitization syndrome. Nerve cells from all over the body send signals to the brain that are misinterpreted. As a result, pain and other sensations become more and more exaggerated and amplified.

As the brain processes all...

Tears are one of the most common reactions I get from discussing fibromyalgia with my patients. Tears of relief that there is an answer. Tears of joy that they do not have an autoimmune condition like lupus or RA. Tears of disbelief; they waited 6-8 months to see me to learn they have...

As a rheumatologist, I see patients with fibromyalgia daily. It is probably one of the most challenging disorders to explain to my patients. Over the years, this condition has changed names. It does not have blood or imaging tests to confirm it. The treatment is far from straightforward and often...