Financing What Actually Works
A discussion of why the pharmacologic treatment of fibromyalgia underperforms, why drug price is not the binding constraint, and how covered entities can nonetheless use 340B program margin to finance the care model the evidence supports.
Red Light Therapy for Fibromyalgia?
Photobiomodulation therapy (PBM), is a non-invasive, drug-free treatment that uses specific wavelengths of red or near-infrared light to stimulate cellular repair, reduce inflammation, and relieve pain
Mold, Fibromyalgia, and Hidden Drivers of Chronic Symptoms
Researchers increasingly believe that fibromyalgia develops from a combination of factors that disrupt immune regulation, nervous system signaling, and inflammatory pathways. These factors may include infections, trauma, hormonal shifts, gut microbiome changes, environmental toxins, and chronic stress on the short list, plus many more.
A potential contributor that is receiving growing attention is mold exposure.
Better Data & Patient Action
Use your patient portal. Read your visit summaries. Check whether your problem list is accurate and current.¹² If something important is missing, such as a symptom that’s been ongoing, a treatment goal, a new therapy, a diagnosis; ask for it to be added.
Aquatic Exercise & Warm Water Therapy
Living with fibromyalgia means that movement can feel like the last thing your body wants — but research consistently shows it’s one of the most important things you can do. Warm-water exercise is one of the best-tolerated and best-supported options available.
Stakeholders & Incentives
When you sit down with your doctor and describe your pain, it might feel like a private conversation. In many ways, it is. But the system that captures and stores that conversation was designed by many hands, shaped by many incentives, and is read by many eyes—most of which you’ll never see.
Fibromyalgia: Why Your Skin Feels It Too
A 2024 systematic review of the medical literature confirmed that people with fibromyalgia have a meaningfully higher rate of several skin conditions than the general population.[1] Here are the ones that come up most often.
The Zero-Friction Podcast
Had a great conversation with The Zero Friction Podcast host Terry Coutsolioutsos. (Bonus points if you can close your eyes and spell either of our last names!) Zero Friction is a great lens to evaluate what you are doing. Did we make it easier? Did we improve it? Are the outcomes better? Let us know […]
From Symptoms to Codes
You describe all of this to your doctor over 20 minutes. She listens carefully. She asks about your mood, checks your joints, orders some bloodwork to rule out thyroid problems and inflammatory arthritis. Then you leave.
What happens next?
Reconnecting the Circuit: The Bio-Electrical Impact of Grounding on Fibromyalgia and Inflammation
I am often asked about “alternative” therapies. Some that sound more like folklore than science. One such practice is grounding, or earthing—the simple act of making direct physical contact with the Earth’s surface. While it may seem anecdotal, emerging research into the “living matrix” of the human body suggests that this practice may offer a […]