The Fibromyalgia Wellness Project is now accepting participants if anyone is interested in being a part of the research. The Fibromyalgia Wellness Project is a research project sponsored by the National Institute of Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin diseases, National Institutes of Health. The purpose of the project is to evaluate a new web-based self-management program that aims to help people with FM discover ways to reduce symptoms and improve health through a completely personalized self-monitoring approach that takes no more than 5 to 10 minutes per day.
According to the Fibromyalgia Wellness Project website:
The purpose of the FM Wellness Project is to evaluate a completely individualized approach to symptom reduction. The goal is to empower users with uniquely personal insights into what strategies work best for them over time.
Participation involves visiting this website several times each week, about 5-10 minutes each time, to complete the SMARTLog. “SMART” is an acronym meaning Self-Monitoring and Review Tool. Like a diary, the SMARTLog records your activities, treatments, strategies, stresses, other inputs you want to evaluate, and your symptom levels for the past 24 hours.
By completing the SMARTLog several times each week you build a personal database over time. This project is pioneering a new statistical analysis approach that will evaluate your personal data each week to discover patterns of connection between your inputs and your symptom levels. When these patterns are found they are reported to you in your unique SMART Profile. The purpose of SMART Profile is to give you accurate, personalized feedback based on your own data, and no one else’s, about what inputs lead to reduced symptom levels for you.
Eligibility requirements:
- Must be 18 or over with Fibromyalgia.
- Must be able to read English and complete the assessment forms via the FM Wellness Project website.
- Must have daily access to the Internet to complete the required logs.
Requirements of the project:
- Read and agree to the consent form.
- Complete the application form on the project site.
- Complete monthly surveys.
- Complete the required logs several times per week.
- Try new strategies/treatments to see if there is any improvement.
Length of project:
- The first stage of the project is three months.
- The second stage of the project is nine months.
- Participants are free to participate in either or both stages.
- The longer participants are in the project, the more likely they will be to learn how to deal with symptoms better.
To sign up to participate in the project, please visit this link at the FM Wellness Project page, scroll down to the bottom of the page and you can continue from there.
Dr. Chuan Liu says
I am an Acupuncturist and have seen great results with my treatments of Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue. I am currently in the process of setting up workshops and support group talk around Milwaukee County, WI. Please visit my website to read my bio. If you would like me to give a 45 minute talk on how Acupuncture and Alternative Medicine can help your syndrome, please contact my office. Thank you so much.