Balance and Fibromyalgia

After 25 years of diagnosing and treating patients with fibromyalgia, I am struck by a perception of imbalance consistently present in the lives of patients with this syndrome. I too often observe individuals who are working too hard, not playing hard enough, and hardly resting at all. And more often than not, there seems to be a lack of time for stillness, reflection, and spiritual refreshment. It has long been my contention that reestablishing harmony among the different aspects of our selves—physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual—would go a long way in restoring good-quality sleep, reducing pain and fatigue, and diminishing the central nervous system amplification associated with fibromyalgia.