The treatment of fibromyalgia (FM) is a three-pronged approach involving medication, cognitive-behavioral therapy and exercise. Medication and cognitive-behavioral therapy have been discussed in other articles. in this article we will discuss specific arrangements for the exercises that can be useful.

Because the pain of FM can increase physical activity, many fibromyalgia patients become sedentary. This sedentary lifestyle is the beginning of a downward spiral that leads to lack of fitness. Deconditioning after symptoms worse at rest and even the minimal effort becomes painful. It is essential to prevent deconditioning, because once that occurs, the treatment of FM is much more difficult.

Exercise, proper amount and type, can prevent this from deconditioning. Types of exercise that have been evaluated in patients with FM are aerobic exercise, stretching and strengthening, and combine stretching, strengthening and flexibility exercises.

Aerobic exercise consists of walking, biking, and swimming-based forms of exercise. While walking is the most convenient form of exercise, the impact of walking can be too much for some people with FM. Low to no impact exercise, such as a stationary bike, elliptical, and swimming appear to be the best forms of aerobic exercise tolerance.

The high-intensity exercise on the heart rate is 150 beats per minute is poorly tolerated. This discourages patients with FM and usually stop exercising. This obviously should be avoided.

More moderate forms of aerobic activity, which keeps the heart rate of about 55% to 70% of maximum heart rate adjusted for age is better tolerated. the exercise should begin well below the capacity of the patient and gradual increase in the duration of a target of 30 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per day.

In our clinic is recommended that patients start with 2-3 minutes a day and increase as tolerated to this point.

Studies have also evaluated the strengthening and stretching for FM. While there may be some benefit to these modalities, aerobic fitness seems to be the type of exercise that has the highest value.

As with all programs, treatment should be individualized. Some patients may benefit from stretching and strengthening, along with aerobic exercise.

The exercise plus cognitive-behavioral therapy and medication, works for the most motivated patients.

from one another when being diagnosed?

All of these diseases are very complicated to diagnose because they have simliar symptoms. there are no easy tests that give a yes or no answer. Lab tests, medical history and symptoms AND ruling out other disorders AND having an experienced clinician can lead to a diagnosis.

Basically, there is no simple answer.

Fibromyalgia is a muscle disorder that is not as serious as the last two, and lupus is a connective tissue disorder. Lyme disease is an infection and in that sense is unrelated to the first two. however, if not treated, in its third stage Lyme disease can go on to affect joints.

Fibromyalgia is stiffness and pain felt in fibrous tissues, usually deep within the muscles. it seems to be accompanied by emotional tension reflected in the knotting up of muscles. there is nothing basically wrong with the muscles themselves. Yet localized pain is likely, and there may be even slight swelling within the affected muscles. it often causes a backache.

In lupus, connective tissue in any part of the body may become inflamed, damaging the skin, joints, and internal organs. the immune system forms antibodies against cell nuclei, DNA and RNA, cell proteins, phospholipids, red and white blood cells, and other structures. these antibodies become jointed to their targets as immune complexes that provoke the inflammation.
Because the disorder affects so many body systems, general symptoms are common, including fatigue, a sense of ill health, loss of appetite, loss of weight, and fever.
The skin is affected in 80% of cases, usually with a butterfly-shaped rash over the cheeks and the bridge ofthe nose. a more general rash often affects those areas of the skin exposed to sunlight. Partial or complete hair loss may occur. Skin ulcers and skin nodules may form.
Around 95% of people with lupus have some problems with their joints and muscles, with pain more common than deformity. about 85% have anemia or another blood disorder, including either ineffective blood clotting or unwanted clotting in the veins or arteries causing an embolism, stroke, or other problems.
Virtually every body system may be affected – from the eyes to the intestines. Lupus affects mostly women. Because of the blood-clotting abnormalities, miscarriages are common in pregnant women with lupus. the disease often flares up in the early months of pregnancy. nevertheless, many women with the disease have successful pregnancies and give birth to healthy infants.

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection. it is caused by the spirochete bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi, which is transmitted to humans from a bite by an infected tick. usually a red spot develops on the skin that gradually increases in size. the center of the spot returns to its normal color after a day or two, so the skin has the appearance of a bull's-eye. This spot on the skin is very noticeable but may not be painful. in some cases the skin clears up and there are no other symptoms. however, in other cases within a day or two more red spots appear and a headache, fever, swollen lymph glands, and pain in the joints and muscles appear, as well as a feeling of illness and weakness. If Lyme disease is not recognized or treated, the second stage of the illness affects the heart and nervous system. Meningitis and partial paralysis of the muscles served by the facial and other nerves often occur. the meningitis causes severe headache, muscular weakness, and numbness or tingling. Irregular heartbeat and inflammation of the heart and pericardium are common. those who remain untreated move to the third stage of Lyme disease, in which chronic arthritis often develops, usually affecting the larger joints such as the knees.

Unfortunately they all share many and very similar symptoms,i was diagnosed with fibromyalgia,lyme disease,it ended up actually that my body was not getting proper oxygen from lung disease from chemical damage,but because symptoms were so alike ,I was mis -diagnosed.
lupus,is where the body's immune system,turns on itself ,and attacks the body,harming instead of helping. some foreign objects like breast implants,cause immune system to recognise it as a foreign substance,it tries to get rid of it,can;t,so it goes haywire,and attacks itself!
fibromyalgia is a secondary diagnosis or skin,flesh pain,when in actuality its real cause is rarely diagnosed,my fibromyalgia is due to lack of oxygen and damage to blood vessels.
highly diagnosed in people that are stressed,depressed,smoke,and have poor life-style behaviours!

I was wondering what other causes there could be for lack of concentration, lack of motivation, tired all the time, tired during the day, having trouble getting to sleep, waking up early and before I need to wake up, and othere symptoms along those lines. also, I have had heartburn, diarrhea and constipation after many meals, eating paper, thirsty and hungry although I eat and drink the right amounts each day. what could be the potential problem?

You might not be depressed, but you've got typical signs of depression. the two are different, you know! I'll put a link below that gives you more information about depression.

It could also be a physical problem – have you had a check-up lately?

I've got all the symptoms you listed (except eating paper?!), but mine are all part and parcel of Fibromyalgia.

Your best bet would be to go to your doctor, explain the problems you're having, and let them take it from there.

I hope you're able to figure out what the problem is, and get it straightened out.

Good luck!

Have your thyroid checked. I had those symptoms and I was diagnosed with Graves Disease.

I agree that it might be Grave's disease. see your doctor and get tested. You need free T3, free T4, and TSI blood tests.

There are many deadly diseases and fibromyalgia is one of them with many fibromyalgia symptoms without any cure. With so many symptoms, it is definitely quite hard to find out the exact nature of the disease and the diagnosis is definitely very hard. The patients observe a widespread pain all over the body and they also find problem with their regular sleep hours. The patient feels the exhaustion in the whole body right from the head until the toe. The patients are in discomfort all the time and they feel the pain in all parts of their body. The malfunctioning leads to the body wide symptoms and generally, the nervous system starts processing the pain as well.

Most of the fibromyalgia syndrome patients suffer from the regional muscle pain and the majority of them might experience firm knots in the muscles. The radiating pain restricts the movement of the muscles all around the body. Recent surveys suggest that most of the tender points should be termed as the myofascial trigger points.

Generally, the fibromyalgia symptoms list is very long and unpredictable as well, which frustrates the patients, as they cannot plan their life in proper manner. The patient on most of the occasions suffer from fatigue and one should keep in mind that fatigue is much more dangerous as compared to the tiredness. one has to push himself in order to complete any work.

There is no doubt at all that they feel sometimes twitched or cramped in the muscles, which makes them feel overworked as well as pulled on majority of instances. The patients lacks energy on most of the occasions and this happens due to the lack of the power supply from the so called powerhouse of the body. The leaky gut syndrome symptoms and the fibromyalgia symptoms are very similar and therefore it has been observed that majority of time both of these diseases are quite similar definitely.

There is yet another disease called the gulf war syndrome, which is definitely quite lethal. The patients feel like being hypochondriac and thus they are not able to see the imparted pain, brain fog or the exhaustion and thus they do not find the reason for pain, though, they are being affected by it. keep in mind that most of the symptoms are invisible and they can be detected only with the help of the fibromyalgia symptom checker. Due to the invisibility of the syndrome, the physicians might feel perplexed and the respective patients might get frustrated as well.

One majority of instances the patients feel laziness and they are devoid of the sleep as well which increases their pain at times. The muscular pain might be the outcome of the sleep disruption and it increases as the time progresses. The treatment of the fibromyalgia is quite similar to the leaky gut syndrome treatment and the biggest point is that it is unpredictable.

Till now there is no perfect treatment available for this disease and the dilemma is that the exact reason is also not being found as well. Hence, the patients should make sure that they consult the doctors before they finalize that they are suffering from the fibromyalgia and they are having the fibromyalgia symptoms.

Click below to research new facts regarding:

- leaky gut syndrome symptoms

- leaky gut syndrome treatment

BRATTLEBORO—Spring is finally here. We can emerge from our houses, go for hikes, take walks, and stroll around in the woods.

But we should avoid getting bitten by a deer tick.

Deer ticks (Ixodes scapularis) live everywhere in the country, including here in Windham County. many deer ticks now carry Lyme disease, as well as four other bacterial infections: Rocky Mountain spotted fever, babesiosis, anaplasmosis, and ehrlichiosis.

Lyme disease is caused by the spirochete (spiral-shaped bacteria) borrelia burgdorferi, which is similar to the syphilis organism.

This disease is becoming known as the “Great Imitator,” because its symptoms mimic those of many other illnesses, such as multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, and other non-specific musculoskeletal and neurological diseases.

Half the people infected with Lyme disease get a characteristic bullseye rash (Erythema Migrans, or EM). Some of the other most common signs and symptoms of an acute infection with Lyme disease include headache, muscle aches and pain, heart palpitations, stiff neck, and joint pain (usually one-sided and in a large joint, like a knee of hip).

However, the list is much longer, and often overlaps with the symptoms that one might have with a cold or flu. This is where the tragic problem of chronic Lyme disease begins, when the infection is overlooked and dismissed.

Lyme disease, and especially the notion of “chronic Lyme disease” is an area of contention among many doctors. This debate is driven by a number of factors, including science, politics, and the insurance industry.

The controversy becomes very heated and emotional for people, especially those who are struggling with their health and who suspect Lyme disease as the cause of their illness.

Over the past decade, two opposing camps have emerged in the battle. one camp is represented by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), led by a group of academic researchers. This group maintains that Lyme disease is “hard to catch and easy to halt” (according to an oft-quoted New York Times story on the research) because the infection is “rare,” easily diagnosed, and treated with two to four weeks of antibiotics. This group also claims that chronic Lyme disease is rare or nonexistent.

This group of researchers has written the guidelines that most physicians refer to when treating Lyme disease. but here’s the catch: The IDSA guidelines’ authors have significant conflicts of interest that have biased their treatment and diagnostic recommendations, including:

Looking for new tools to fight fibromyalgia? Natural remedies – from exercise to acupuncture – can treat symptoms and ease pain. here are 6 techniques to try….

When fibromyalgia stiffens limbs and makes muscles and joints tender and sore, you may assume pain medication is your only bet.

Fortunately, there’s new evidence that natural solutions – including breathing techniques, exercise and supplements – may assist your treatment of fibromyalgia’s symptoms and reduce stress, a common pain trigger.

The potential for natural treatments is great, says Howard Schubiner, M.D., director of the Mind Body Medicine Center at Providence Hospital in Southfield, Mich.

“In our research [a combination of mind-body approaches], 25% of patients were symptom-free after six months.”

However, these treatments do require participation from the patient, Schubiner notes.

“Some people like being an active part of their own healing, while others feel it’s too much work. much of the successfulness of a program depends on what you think will be effective,” Schubiner says.

Read on to find out which science-backed alternative approaches are best for you.

1. Yoga
How it works: Besides lowering stress, yoga helps reduce chronic inflammation, which many researchers believe is a main cause of fibromyalgia-related discomfort.

In fact, women who practice yoga have lower blood levels of cytokine interleukin-6 – a protein causing inflammation that’s also linked to heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes – according to a 2010 Ohio State University study.

Danielle Miller, 45, of Lancaster, Pa., tried “every medication on the market” to treat her fibromyalgia pain. When a friend suggested a yoga class, she was reluctant at first but soon became hooked.

The meditation, breathing and stretching exercises increased her flexibility, improved sleep and even eased her irritable bowel syndrome, a disorder often associated with fibromyalgia.

“After 6-8 sessions, I began feeling better,” she says.

How to get started: Look for a yoga instructor experienced with fibromyalgia. (Your physician may be able to refer you.)

Start slowly and build to a regular routine you can stick with.

“When I attended classes randomly, I was in more pain,” Miller says.

2. Nutritional supplements
How they work: Supplements can decrease chronic inflammation, which in turn may reduce pain, says Shawn M. Talbott, Ph.D., research director for Supplement Watch, an organization that evaluates scientific evidence for nutritional supplements.

Anti-inflammatory supplements include grape seed extract, resveratrol (a chemical found in red wine and grape juice), bromelain (an enzyme obtained from pineapples), ginger, turmeric (the yellow spice used in Indian food), boswellia (an herb common in Ayurvedic medicine), decaffeinated green tea and purified fish oil.

How to get started: Supplements can vary in quality, cause stomach upset or interact with medications, so consult your rheumatologist about which brands are best.

Also, check labels for information on purity and strength of active ingredients.

Changing your diet is another way to reduce inflammation.

Eat lots of colorful fruits and veggies. Trade refined carbohydrates for moderate amounts of whole grains. Lower consumption of saturated fats and increase the amount of “good fats” (including monounsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids) you eat with foods such as nuts, avocados, olive oil and fish.

3. Acupuncture
How it works: Acupuncture has been used in traditional Asian medicine for thousands of years to relieve pain related to a variety of conditions. new research shows it may also be effective for fibromyalgia.
In a 2009 University of Michigan study, women with the disorder were treated with either acupuncture or a “sham” (fake) version, in which their skin was pricked with a sharp device to simulate acupuncture sensations.

Brain imaging showed that those who received real treatments got more relief from pain-killers with codeine and morphine (opiates).

“We’ve seen a drop in 5-10 points on the pain scale [a 1-10 scale doctors use to assess discomfort levels] from fibromyalgia patients who’ve used acupuncture,” Harris says.

Annette Poizner, a 47-year-old psychotherapist in Toronto, Canada, says acupuncture reduced her discomfort. But those results took a long time, and she warns against looking at the ancient Chinese treatment as a quick fix.

“It’s a gradual recovery, not a 10-session miracle,” she says.

How to get started: Find a licensed practitioner.

Ask your doctor or look online for local clinics. The website for the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine maintains a list of qualified acupuncture practitioners.

4. Mindfulness meditation
How it works: Mindfulness – defined as a calm, nonjudgmental focus on the present moment – can be a powerful stress-reduction method. When combined with meditation, it may reduce fibromyalgia pain and other physical complaints, according to a recent University of Basel, Switzerland study.

Researchers found that it helped patients cope better with the anxiety and depression that often go along with the disorder.

When women with fibromyalgia enrolled in an eight-week program of mindfulness-based stress reduction, they had significantly more relief from symtoms than those who received only physical or emotional support from loved ones and peers.
A follow-up found they were still benefiting from the mindfulness program three years later.

Because high stress levels can trigger or worsen fibromyalgia symptoms, it makes sense that reducing it brings relief, says Schubiner.

Still, he adds, meditation alone may not be enough.

“Results depend on how you incorporate these practices into your life,” he says. “If you have a lot of stress at home, for example, you can reduce it with meditation. But you’ll need to address root problems too.”

How to get started: some hospitals and medical clinics offer mindfulness programs for patients.

You can also buy meditation CDs (such as those by Jon Kabat-Zinn) in stores and online, or find free downloads from UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center.

5. Breathing exercises
How they work: Deep-breathing exercises have been shown to lower stress, thereby easing symptoms.

Even slowing down breathing can reduce fibromyalgia pain, according to 2010 research at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, Ariz.

Patients with fibromyalgia were subjected to moderately painful heat pulses on their palms. When they slowed their breathing rates by 50%, some reported a reduction in pain intensity.

The patients’ attitude was a contributing factor: Those with a positive mindset saw results.

But those who said they felt overwhelmed by feelings of sadness and depression weren’t helped by the breathing exercises.
Researchers suggest that people with fibromyalgia have a stronger connection between pain and emotion.

How to get started: If chronic depression is part of your disorder, talk to your doctor about treatments.

For mindful breathing, Schubiner recommends a daily session in which you take long, slow breaths and pay attention to each one.

“You simply notice each breath, and then let it go,” he says.

Many yoga classes incorporate breathing exercises, and many books and CDs on breathing are available.

Try this simple technique by Dennis Lewis, from his book Free Your Breath, Free Your Life (Shambhala Publications):

The Smiling Breath
1. Sit comfortably on a chair or cushion and smile, even if it feels forced at first.

2. Imagine directing this smile inwardly throughout your whole body.

3. as you inhale, sense yourself inhaling through your smile, allowing the energy of the smile to combine with the energy of your breath, and direct this energy down to the painful area.

4. Exhale through pursed but relaxed lips (as if gently blowing on a candle without blowing it out). do this for a minimum of five minutes.

6. Exercise
How it works: Physical activity is an important fibromyalgia treatment, but don’t dive right in to an intensive exercise program.

“too much too soon can have a rebound effect, where you’re worse off than before you started,” Harris says. “The key lies in finding the right amount.”
The proper dose is moderate bursts of exercise that add up to 30 minutes a day, 5-7 times a week, according to a 2010 Johns Hopkins University study that found that patients following this regimen had reduced pain and less trouble functioning after 12 weeks.

How to get started: begin slowly, exercising for as little as three minutes at a time.

Gradually increase activity level to 20-30 minutes a day, recommends Rae Marie Gleason, executive director of the National Fibromyalgia Association.

“Exercising helps you gain some control over your life, something often missing in those with fibromyalgia,” Gleason says.

How much do You know about Fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is one of the world’s oldest medical mysteries.

Feel like you don’t have the energy to wake up? Exhausted just by the thought of going to work? Well, you’re not alone. in this age of multi-tasking, modern technology and hectic living, there are many who feel this way. Here are some of the reasons why you may be feeling so drained of energy and tired.

Keeping long hours at work, taking on too much or simply being unable to unwind and sleep deeply can result in tiredness and exhaustion.

Simple changes that can help you sleep better

• meditating
• sleeping at the same time each night
• removing stimulants, like the television, from the bedroom

Being on a diet, especially one with no carbs or fats, can leave you feeling exhausted in the middle of the day.

• Instead, choose to lose weight by eating a healthy, balanced diet and making breakfast a priority.
• Eat healthy snacks, like nuts, through the day to keep energy levels up.
• Stay hydrated since lack of water leads to exhaustion and fatigue.

Several medical conditions list exhaustion as one of the symptoms. Anemia, thyroid disorders, diabetes, UTI, fibromyalgia, depression and even, heart disease are just a few of these conditions. if you’re doing everything right and still feeling drained, you may want to talk your doctor about being tested.

Working in shifts, caffeine and lack of exercise can all lead to feeling tired. Shifts where you sleep during the day and work during the night interfere with the body’s natural sleep cycle and can lead to exhaustion during the day. Caffeine is great for a kick-start but when you have too much of it, it can actually cause tiredness. the same is true for sugar, which gives you instant energy followed by a slump. Avoid overdoing either of these to feel better through the day. Get adequate exercise to up energy levels and reduce tiredness.

Taking a good look at your diet, health and lifestyle can help you to battle exhaustion and overcome tiredness easily. Eating right, staying hydrated, getting enough sleep and exercise, and ruling out medical conditions can help you be more active, energized and alert all through the day.

Prerna Malik is a freelance writer and work-at-home mom who believes in staying healthy, the natural way. you can find out more about her at The Mom Writes.

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My next dr appointment is on wednesday and i guess ill find out then but just curious what others are taking?
Which work the best?

I hear acupuncture works

I don't have it, and I'm so sorry you do. I hope medications work. if not, I'd go straight to acupuncture. a third alternative–just keep this on file in case you need it is TKM therapy–kinginstitute.org. It's energy medicine similar to acupuncture but with fingertips instead of needles.

TX Mom

Far-infared saunas have been effective in treating pain caused by fibromyalgia. To get more information go to sunlightsaunas.com

How were you diagnosed with fibromyalgia? Was it your doctor? if so, the physician should have explained this disease entity to you, and prescribed the appropriate medication for the symptoms! Anyone that has "fibromyalgia" is afflicted with different types, and degrees, of pain. Don't put off seeing your physician, and don't be afraid to ask him/her questions.

So sorry about being diagnosed with fibro, but glad you at least have a diagnosis. for many patients, it takes years to rule out other conditions. I have had fibromyalgia since 1982. You can learn a lot more about it, medications, etc. at my site at fms-help.com – also 100 tips for coping. There is no single magic bullet that helps every single person with fibromyalgia, and that's what makes it such a confusing illness to treat. Usually doctors try to give you something for pain, sleep and muscle relaxation, but there's more to it than that. anyway, visit my site and you'll learn more about it.

I am an infectious disease physician and have been practicing in the Seacoast area for 20 years. I have seen and treated a large number of patients with Lyme disease. I feel comfortable that the scientific guidelines as published by my professional society, Infectious Diseases Society of America, and very recently revalidated, are medically sound and simply “work” for the overwhelming majority of my patients.that said, I recognize that there are rare patients that have chronic multisystem complaints that are not helped with standard treatment for Lyme disease. I have seen many of these patients through my career. not all medical symptoms fall into a clean diagnosis. some have been classified as having chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and others. my observation is that some of these individuals seem to have a true, indefinable medical condition, some will have an alternative medical diagnosis that requires a comprehensive medical evaluation, and some will have underlying psychiatric issues. this is not in any way to disparage the latter group. Depression is a ubiquitous medical disorder and the associated medical symptoms can mimic organic disease.as above, I do believe that there is a true medical condition (or conditions) that we are currently unable to characterize. Symptoms often include fatigue, muscle pain, activity intolerance, sore throat, tender lymph nodes, disturbed sleep, and cognitive complaints. over the years, many theories have been advanced as to the cause of these disorders. Various viral, bacterial, and fungal etiologies have been advanced and refuted. Testing on these patients sometimes demonstrates evidence of either immunologic deficiency or activation, but not in a consistent fashion. Clinical management of these patients is very difficult. in the absence of a specific treatment, management is largely symptomatic. the major portion of a visit to my office for a patient will involve counseling and support. this takes a lot of time and energy on my part. I sincerely wish that there was a “cure” for these patients. it would be much easier for all involved to simply prescribe a pill than to spend 45 minutes discussing lifestyle modification. stress management, and sleep hygiene.”Chronic Lyme disease” fits this paradigm. in the absence of an easily treatable and diagnosable disorder, the void has been filled with inaccurate and self-fulfilling testing performed by non-validated laboratories and with non-evidence based guidelines. this is not unique to this illness; I have seen similar “loose” testing and treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome patients. and from a patient’s perspective, I understand this. People are ill and are desperate to feel well again. if a carrot is held out, who wouldn’t want to grasp for it? it becomes easy to cast those who offer the “cure” as heroes, and traditional practitioners as the villains. some patients will experience symptomatic improvement on long-term antibiotics A placebo effect has been appreciated in the controlled studies of this disorder. Furthermore, there is a nonspecific anti-inflammatory effect of certain antibiotics (including doxycycline) that can result in some modest symptomatic improvement. Parenthetically, I have seen a number of patients with serious adverse effects related to long-term antibiotics, who feel afraid to discontinue them. I have had a number of patients that have simply wanted me to validate that it was acceptable for them to come off antibiotics.I believe that the patient-doctor relationship should allow for an individualized approach, for this or any illness. often, after careful consideration of all the risks and benefits, a practitioner will recommend a specific course of treatment, even if it is outside of usual conventions. good physicians do this on a regular basis. “Chronic Lyme disease” does not require specific dispensation. like any other medical illness, a provider may decide to offer a treatment that diverges from the accepted scientific guidelines. even though the vast majority of patients with Lyme disease are well-served with these guidelines, a thoughtful medical evaluation may suggest a different approach. this does not require a law. Opening Pandora’s box with legislation puts the government in the position of recognizing any other chronic illness without scientific validation.I am concerned that such a law is a veiled effort to legislate and legitimize a medical condition, a dangerous legislative precedent. Furthermore, this law may actually do patients a disservice. Patients may be given a diagnosis of chronic Lyme disease based on non-validated laboratory testing and the weight of media and popular attention, at the expense of a true and thoughtful medical evaluation. Appropriate medical diagnosis and treatment may be delayed. this would be the price we pay for displacing medical diagnosis and treatment from health care professionals to the whims of politics.I again must emphasize that I have nothing but respect and compassion for patients that are suffering with chronic illness. these patients deserve the benefit of a thoughtful medical evaluation, not a cookie cutter diagnosis and treatment. A compassionate provider may decide on a case-by-case basis that a patient deserves treatment that diverges from standard conventions. A law is not needed for this. good medical care should be based on the specific application of evidence-based medicine on a very personal level. Again, this does not need to be legislated. these very personal medical decisions should be left to providers, not to politics or public opinion.