Talking to Your Health Care Professional

Having the right conversation with your health care professional isn’t always easy. You may not feel comfortable asking questions or think what you feel is important enough to mention but it is. The more they know about you and what you’re dealing with the better they can help. So take a deep breath, know it’s important, and try some of these conversation starters along with any other questions you may have:

1. How do you approach the treatment of fibromyalgia with your other patients?
2. Is it typical for fibromyalgia symptoms to come and go? For example: How come I have good days and bad days?
3. Sometimes I don’t know which is worse, my pain or fatigue; which one do I treat first?
4. My muscles get very stiff if I sit too long, is stretching ok? How often should I do it?
5. Are there any foods I should avoid? Any I should eat more of?

At times, you may be concerned about what people think about your fibromyalgia. You don’t want to be seen as someone who complains. So you may feel it’s best to minimize what you’re going through. But fibromyalgia is a real pain condition. To help you find a treatment plan that’s best for you, your doctor needs to fully understand what you’re feeling. So it’s important that you:

• Be specific about how your life is affected by fibromyalgia
• Talk honestly about how you feel (for example, overwhelmed,
  isolated, etc.)
• Feel free to ask any questions you might have
• Tell your doctor if you don’t understand an explanation

Get started now > Download the Doctor Conversation Guide (includes Pain Tracking Diary)