Fibromyalgia (FM) and
Chronic Myofascial Pain (CMP)
with Devin Starlanyl

Author of:
Fibromyalgia and Chronic Myofascial Pain: A Survival Manual 2nd Edition
and The Fibromyalgia Advocate: Getting the Support You Need to Cope with Fibromyalgia and Myofascial Pain Syndrome.  The Chronic Myofascial Pain video is no longer available.

NOTE:  New Nomenclature All material written by me after October 1, 2007, will have the following changes in nomenclature.  I regret any confusion caused by this change, but deem it necessary due to the changes in our current understanding of the conditions involved.   The abbreviation for myofascial trigger point, "TrP," was replaced by "MTP" for a brief period of time.  It has been returned to "TrP."  The change was due to the author's work on the next edition of Travell and Simons' Trigger Point Manual, and reflects the changing nature of being on the threshold of developments.   The term Myofascial Pain Syndrome (MPS) will no longer be used, as current research shows it is not a syndrome but a true myopathy, and thus a true disease.     There are acute TrPs and chronic myofascial pain (CMP) due to TrPs.  Where applicable, CMP will be separated into CMP Stage 1 (without central sensitization) and CMP Stage 2 (with central sensitization).   Fibromyalgia (FM) will replace the former term fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS).

Myofascial Pain Brochure from the National Fibromyalgia Partnership

The patient myofascial trigger point handbook, "The Winners' Guide To Pain Relief," by myofascial specialist Hal Blatman, MD, is now available.

Clinical Mastery in the Treatment of Myofascial Pain, by Lucy Whyte Ferguson and Robert Gerwin
In my opinion, this book should be read and reread by anyone who practices any form of myofascial pain medicine.  If you want to know which order to treat TrP-laden muscles and how to release difficult areas and so much more, it’s here, waiting for you.

We have many requests for the physician's side symptoms list, known as "Devin's Diagnostic"

These conditions are clearly clinical disorders, and as they share symptoms with so many other disorders, are currently among the most misdiagnosed of ailments.

We hope that this information will help people get more information about these illnesses so as to better their chances of accurate diagnosis and improved therapy.

Please do not request opinions on specific diagnoses, including test interpretations.  It is illegal to give specific treatment advice for individual patients over the Internet.  Devin Starlanyl is not in medical practice.  We are restricted by law to providing general information such as can be found in a medical text.  Please check the "Books and Tapes" section for more informational resources.

How To Use This Website

Patients and Companions:

1) Read the information page.  Then proceed to the symptoms page, which will help you discover if fibromyalgia and/or chronic myofascial pain and/or reactive hypoglycemia (or insulin resistance) may be a factor in your life.  It will help pinpoint some of your symptom sources.  Then read other parts of the site you may find of interest.

2) Identify and deal with the perpetuating factors.  This should help decrease your symptom load and is necessary before any therapy "holds".

3) Copy the referenced data sheets for your medical care team.

4) Do read the physicians' data sheets — they may hold the answers to your questions.

5) Feel free to access the physicians' bibliography and see all the medical journal articles being written.  Your reference librarian will help you get articles you need through the Interlibrary Loan.

Doctors and Other Care Providers:

Begin here.

This website is going multi-lingual.  Stay tuned for new and exciting additions.  Thanks to the efforts of friends from around the world, the information contained on this web site is available in Spanish and Dutch.  We are looking for translators with some medical familiarity who would be willing to translate handouts into French, German and other languages.  If you are such a person, please contact the Webmaster. 

Are you a healer, or would you like to be?

Right now there aren't enough care providers skilled in the treatment of myofascial trigger points.  There are openings at the Pittsburgh School of Pain Management and the MyoRehab Seminar Series in New Mexico.  Experience healing as you never have before, while learning to treat others.  By the time you graduate, you will be able to sit for the national certification exam, and you will have gained the ability to profoundly improve the quality of life for your patients.  Doctors and other health care practitioners can learn about hands-on myofascial trigger point diagnosis and treatment education at Pain & Rehabilitation Medicine and Hands-On Seminars.

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The All New Second Edition Survival Manual Is Out!  Order Here! Fibromyalgia and Chronic Myofascial Pain: A Survival Manual 2nd Edition by Devin J. Starlanyl, Mary Ellen Copeland Devin talks about the new edition. Read her comments

The Fibromyalgia Advocate: Getting the Support You Need to Cope with Fibromyalgia and Myofascial Pain Syndrome by Devin J. Starlanyl

See what other Medical Professionals are saying about "The Fibromyalgia Advocate"