The Massachusetts CFIDS/FM Association

UPDATE

Our quarterly publication covers topics of interest to the CFIDS/FM community in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Nationwide and Worldwide. The better part of the table of contents for the current issue is listed here. You can read a few articles online. Follow the links. Your subscription to the Update will be processed along with your membership to the Massachusetts CFIDS/FM Association. We welcome new members from all areas of the country and the world.
Please feel free to contact us at update@masscfids.org. 

CONTENTS

Feature Articles

Dr. Richard Bruno: Fatigue By Any Other Name
by Bonnie Gorman RN

Dr. Richard Bruno, HD, PhD, offered an animated and informative presentation to the Mass. CFIDS/FM Association and the Greater Boston Post Polio Association on the "Common Ground between Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), Fibromyalgia (FM) and Post Polio Syndrome" (PPS) in June.  Dr. Bruno is a clinical neurophysiologist specializing in PPS and chronic fatiguing conditions.  He is Director of Fatigue Management Programs and the Post-Polio Institute at Englewood (NJ) Hospital and Medical Center.  He is also the Chairperson of the International Post Polio Task Force.  His new book, The Polio Paradox: Uncovering The Hidden History of Polio to Understand and Treat “Post-Polio Syndrome” and Chronic Fatigue, was published by Warner Books in June.

Dr. Bruno covered detailed background information on the history and evolution of Polio and Post Polio Syndrome (PPS), and the long-term effects of these illnesses.  In his research, he found that the parallels in signs and symptoms between PPS, CFS/ME and FM were remarkable.  He became very intrigued with the common ground that they shared.  He began to research the correlations in the early nineties, and presented his findings at the 1996 American Association of CFS and FM's (AACFS) Conference in San Francisco CA.  He has continued to present his research at this and other scientific conferences.  In 2001, Dr. Bruno conducted an International Chronic Fatigue Survey of nearly 600 CFS/ME and FM patients.  Dr. Bruno presented his comprehensive research review of the parallels between these illnesses, as well as the 2001 Survey findings.  He then covered his approach to the treatment of fatigue and pain…

(Subscribe to The Update to read this 8 page article and many more timely pieces.)

Dr. Paul Cheney: “New Insights into CFS”
by Rita Sanderson and Bonnie Gorman RN

 This is a comprehensive summary of a recent lecture by Dr. Paul Cheney that was sponsored by the CFS/FM Support Group of Dallas/ Ft. Worth, Texas.  Since Dr. Cheney's work is of high interest to our members, we are publishing this detailed coverage of the lecture. 

 Dr. Paul Cheney was one of the original physicians, along with Dr. Dan Peterson, to identify an outbreak of an unusual illness in the Lake Tahoe Nevada area during the mid-1980s.  That illness would eventually be given the dubious name of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS).  After leaving Nevada in the late 1980s, Dr. Cheney set up practice in Charlotte North Carolina (NC), and more recently in Asheville (NC), specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of CFS.  He has treated literally thousands of  patients over the past 17 years and attained an unsurpassed “working knowledge” of the illness.  Currently, he is Professor of Medicine and Chair of the Nutrition Department at Capitol University of Integrative Medicine in Washington D.C.  He has spoken at many international conferences, as well as authored numerous medical and research articles relevant to CFS.  Consequently, many consider Dr. Cheney as one of the leading authorities on CFS.

 The most prominent aspects, from a practical standpoint, have been captured from a presentation delivered by Dr. Cheney recently in Irving, TX entitled, “New Insights into the Pathophysiology and Treatment of CFS”.  Anyone familiar with Dr. Cheney will realize how profoundly detailed he can become in his discussions.  In order to get the full scope, we highly recommended that readers view the videotape.  Additional information about how to order this videotaped lecture or borrow it from the Mass. CFIDS/FM Association lending library has been included at the end of this article.  Please note the abbreviation of CFS will be used throughout this summary in an effort to be consistent with the terminology used on the slides and articles displayed in the lecture.

 Dr. Cheney started the lecture by saying that the focus will be clarification of the complexities of the illness, as well as treatment options.  Like many other speakers, he did a routine overview of the major, minor, and exclusion criteria of the CDC Definition for CFS, but pointed out that in order to meet their criteria, pain must be present in all cases.  Dr. Cheney has found in his experience that this is not the case in approximately 5% of patients.  On the other hand, he felt this criteria helps to identify CFS as a painful illness… 

 (Subscribe to The Update to read this 12 page article and many more timely pieces.)

Preview of Fall Lectures:

Dr. Sam Donta: The Interface of Lyme Disease with CFIDS and FM

Dr. Gail Adler: Unraveling the Mystery of Neuroendocrine Abnormalities

Departments

Association Announcements: 

Advocacy Alerts: Name Change Workgroup Report

Commentary-- On the Lighter Side:

Breaking News: CFIDS Caused by Evil Dr. Svengali!  by Lucy Dechene, Ph.D 

Coping Corner:  What Works for Managing CFIDS & FM by Bruce Campbell PhD

Research and Treatment News:

In Memoriam: Dr. John Richardson, ME Pioneer

Medical Journal Summaries: by Lucy Dechene, Ph.D 

News & Views:

 *******