MANY of us experience pain sporadically - a backache, a toothache, a tummy ache, and a host of aches and pains - but it usually goes away. But imagine living with pain on a daily basis. That's what marketing manager Angela Chiarapurk has to put up with.

At first, the pain was thought to be psychosomatic - a figment of her imagination. The pain robbed her of her sleep.

"Everybody thought it was nothing. They said I exercised too much and advised me to go for Thai massage. They told me to take sleeping pills," recalled Chiarapurk, 33.

The pain started when she was 24 and, with everyone else doubting her, it was not surprising that she threw tantrums and became more irritable and miserable.

The nightmare started with headaches and lower back problems. Chiarapurk was given medication which eased the pain temporarily. Later, the pain returned, and even spread from her head to the neck, and then to the legs. Her work and social life suffered; she preferred to rest at home rather than go out with family and friends. She was always close to tears.

Chiarapurk visited nine different healthcare professionals over a period of nine years: two neurologists, two acupuncturists, three chiropractors, a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine and an Ayurvedic specialist.

"It was frustrating. Different people diagnosed me with different conditions: muscle constrictions from overuse, overworking, bad posture, bone decay, calcium deposits and migraine," said Chiarapurk.

None of the conventional treatments alleviated her condition.

However, life improved when she was referred to Assoc Prof Dr Pradit Prateepavanich, one of Thailand's leading pain specialists, and president of the Thai Association for the Study of Pain.

Name for the pain                                                                                                                                 "He told me my condition had a name - fibromyalgia. It was such a relief to know that the pain was not imaginary.

"He told me there was no permanent cure but the pain would decrease," said Chiarapurk.

Dr Prateepavanich was right.

Chiarapurk shared about her life as a fibromyalgia patient, at a media conference for the regional launch of the South-East Asia Fibromyalgia Awareness, Concerns and Trends Survey (FACTS) in Bangkok recently. It was held on the sidelines of the World Congress of Neurology.

Dr Prateepavanich, who is also the chair of SEAsia FACTS, noted that his patient exhibited most of the classic symptoms of fibromyalgia. Chiarapurk had spent long hours - working 11 hours a day - in her previous employment. Dr Prateepavanich postulated that the stress from the long hours triggered the onset of fibromyalgia.

Another noted pain specialist, Dr Henry Lu, head of the Makati Medical Centre Pain Control Clinic in the Philippines, said that fibromyalgia patients were victimised twice. Firstly, by the condition, and secondly, by those around them, including their doctors who misdiagnosed it as a psychological condition.

Once fibromyalgia is correctly diagnosed, treatment is through medication and non-medical intervention. This was the course undertaken by Chiarapurk.

"I started using an orthopaedic mattress and pillow, and carried my pillow around when travelling. I changed the way I sat in the car, at work and at other places. I used to exercise by swimming but now I do more regulated exercises with the help of my personal trainer," she said.

She hopes other fibromyalgia patients would be diagnosed earlier to spare them unnecessary misery.

It is hard to imagine that this confident, articulate and smiling woman who had graciously shared her experience, was in pain. But she was, and still is. Only now, the pain is reduced considerably and she is coping better with the condition.

"Don't get stressed out. It's not the end of the world," added Chiarapurk.

The Star/Asia News Network