e-newsletter #12
September 2009
UK Fibromyalgia Syndrome Awareness Week
Headline News
Shaping the Future of Care Together Green Paper threatens AA and DLA benefits: A Government Green Paper has proposed a number of changes to the way care in the UK is funded and managed, including the possibility of scrapping disability benefits, such as Attendance Allowance (AA) and possibly also Disability Living Allowance (DLA).
Panorama apologise for The Trauma Industry error: The Panorama show have apologised for any distress caused by The Trauma Industry programme incorrectly referring to Fibromyalgia Syndrome as a psychological disorder.
Lyrica appeal refused in Europe: FibroAction have been informed by Pfizer that their appeal to get marketing approval for Lyrica as a treatment for Fibromyalgia Syndrome (Fibro) in the EU has been rejected.
FibroAction shortlisted to win a Charity Times Award: We are delighted to announce that FibroAction has been shortlisted to win a Charity Times Award in the Best New Charity category.
Research News
Fibro Personality Research Study Needs More Participants: A study is being carried out at Birmingham University to investigate the "Fibro personality" and whether such a thing exists. More participants are needed.
Research Articles
Serum vitamin D levels in patients with Fibromyalgia Syndrome: A team of researchers at Ben-Gurion University, Israel have carried out a study that found no link between Fibromyalgia Syndrome & low levels of vitamin D.
Stretch exercises increase tolerance to stretches in patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain: A team of researchers from the Physiotherapy Department of a Sydney hospital conducted a study that found stretch exercises increase tolerance to the discomfort associated with the stretches in patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain.
Review of complementary and alternative medicine treatments in Fibromyalgia Syndrome: An article has reviewed the published evidence for complementary and alternative medicine in the treatment of Fibromyalgia Syndrome and found that there is best evidence for the use of balneotherapy/hydrotherapy.
Cognitive resources and stress recovery in Fibromyalgia Syndrome: Cognitive resources of perceived control, stress-recovery processes and affective discomfort in Fibromyalgia Syndrome.
Notes from
FibroAction founder
Lindsey Middlemiss
This month marks the first anniversary of FibroAction being a registered charity & I can't quite believe what has been crammed into just one year!
Next week is the Charity Times Awards, at which FibroAction has been shortlisted for the Best New Charity award. It's a great honour & hopefully reflects the positive impact FibroAction has had.
In true awards ceremony style, I would like to mention a few people who have had a particular impact since FibroAction first started 18 months ago: my fellow trustees Emma & Sue; Prof John Davies and his clinic manager Daniel Austen; everyone who has donated money to enable us to keep going; and my husband Simon who continues to be our IT guru and the person who keeps me going despite Fibro.
Thank you, in fact, to everyone who has supported us and who continues to support us. FibroAction only exists to help you, the people affected by or interested in Fibro and your support is what keeps us going, in so many different ways.
Here at FibroAction, we're currently looking for more people to join our team of volunteers, so if you would like to support us further & volunteer, contact us!
P.S. If you're on Twitter, follow me @FibroAction!