Fibromyalgia
We See You. You are Not Missing to Us.
On May 12th, individuals around the globe will be celebrating International ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia Awareness Day. The May 12th date was chosen because it is Florence Nightingale’s birthday and she was believed to have suffered from ME/CFS (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome), a chronic disabling multi-system illness that remains misunderstood, underfunded in research, and even trivialized by some today.
Read MoreWhat’s Next for the ME/CFS Clinician Coalition?
On March 15-16, leading ME/CFS clinicians from across the United States gathered in Salt Lake City for the second annual ME/CFS Expert Clinician Summit. The goal of this summit was to grow the collaborative network of disease experts, identify ways to expand their ranks and improve the clinical care of patients with ME/CFS, and accelerate…
Read MoreBHC Participates in NIH-Sponsored ME/CFS Meeting
The NIH will host 3 days of meetings focusing on ME/CFS research. The meeting on April 3 is titled, “Thinking the Future: A Workshop for Young Early Career ME/CFS Investigators”. This is followed on April 4–5 with a meeting titled, “Accelerating Research on ME/CFS”. The presentations for this meeting will be given by the veteran…
Read MorePelvic Health and Chronic Illness
We were pleased to host Dr. Lauren Johnson—Doctor of Physical Therapy and current Director of the Pelvic Physical Therapy and Wellness Clinic in the Salt Lake City, Utah for our March Education Meeting. In this presentation, Dr. Johnson taught about pelvic health, how pelvic symptoms relate to ME/CFS and fibromyalgia symptoms, and how professionals can…
Read MoreCutting Edge Technology for ME/CFS Biomarker Discovery
Antibodies are Y-shaped proteins that are produced by B cells of our immune system to specifically recognize and bind antigens. Antigens are molecules that instigate antibody production and can be from an invading pathogen or from our own body. Each antibody recognizes a specific antigen creating a repertoire of millions of distinct antibodies that can neutralize invaders or…
Read MoreFatigue, Pain and Sexual Health
Navigating intimacy with your partner can be hard enough without the added stressors of ME/CFS and fibromyalgia. We realize that discussing intimacy and sex may be taboo for some, but are nevertheless integral in a holistic view of health for every individual. We urge you to begin to break apart this taboo if it exists…
Read MoreNIH Announces Precision Medicine Initiative
Research tends to neglect ME/CFS and FM – until right now. Precision medicine is the emerging scientific idea that medical treatment can and should be maximally efficient by tailoring medicine and healthcare to individual circumstances. Current research studies, however, do not have the size and diversity necessary to produce enough statistical power for individualized treatments.…
Read MorePublic Awareness of ME/CFS : A Changing Story
Millions are missing. This tragically summarizes the status of research funding for ME/CFS and FM, the staggering financial blow to the economy as patients and caregivers decrease or withdraw their workforce involvement, and most importantly, the millions of people who are missing from communities all over the world due to these debilitating diseases. For decades,…
Read MoreNavigating the School System with Chronic Illness
School can be an exceptionally challenging struggle for students with ME/CFS and FM. This May, in our monthly education meeting, guest speaker Doctor Lane Valum shared crucial strategies for how to work with, instead of against, the school system in getting students the help and resources they need for academic success. IEP and 504 Plans…
Read MoreBuilding Communities of Understanding and Hope
“Loneliness has the same impact on mortality as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, making it even more dangerous than obesity,” reports Douglas Nemecek, MD, Chief Medical Officer of behavioral health in a major new study on loneliness that outlines the prevalence and significance of loneliness and social isolation, as well as a handful of coping…
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