Fibromyalgia causes pain all over the body, sleep problems, fatigue and often emotional and mental distress. People with fibromyalgia may be more sensitive to pain than people without fibromyalgia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Yet, people with fibromyalgia often look well, and results from conventional tests typically come back normal, making the condition difficult to diagnose and treat.
Fibromyalgia Care Society of America was recently awarded $25,000 in grant funding to assist in onboarding an additional 24 people living in Essex County with fibromyalgia for their virtual coordinated care program.
The initial cohort, slated to begin April 15, will now have an additional fall cohort starting Oct. 15.
“We are extremely excited, honored and humbled to have the name and backing of the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey,” says Mildred “Milly” Velez, founder of FCSA. “We expect this to be the beginning of many other funding possibilities.”
The newly launched, virtual platform consists of six-month cohorts in which participants will be able to address three key areas — pain, social and emotional management; health and wellness; and employment resources — while closely working with an assigned case manager and social worker.
Participants will be exposed to various mediums of therapy, including guidance on their nutritional intake, as it has been found to be connected to pain management. Caregivers and families will have access to resources to support the client coping with fibromyalgia symptoms. In addition, via this holistic clinical experience, cohort participants will establish an action plan to support long-term strategies for coping with fibromyalgia.
Applications are now open for consideration by clicking here.
