Media Mix

Fibromyalgia Aware

National Fibromyalgia Assn., premiere issue May-August 2002.

Overview: With this new magazine, the National Fibromyalgia Assn. is reaching out to the estimated 10 million people who suffer from the condition. Fibromyalgia patients, the majority of them women, suffer from joint and muscle pain, stiffness, fatigue and sleep problems.

How It Works: Because patients often direct their own care--which may combine exercise, stretching, medication, physical therapy and stress reduction--this magazine helps them find doctors and experts who can help. Articles emphasize lifestyle changes, traditional and complementary treatments and research updates.

The first issue profiles actor A.J. Langer, a fibromyalgia patient who stars in the NBC television comedy “Three Sisters.”

The premiere issue is available through doctor’s offices or by making a donation of $35 or more to the association; a few bookstores sell it for $4.95.