St. John’s Fibromyalgia Program helps Ozark clergywoman focus on her ministry

Imagine having a bad flu virus. Every muscle in your body aches and you’re so exhausted you can barely move. Now imagine feeling like you have a flu virus all the time. Not a pretty picture, is it? This is how people with fibromyalgia describe their condition – like a perpetual flu.

“I would have episodes where I felt as though I had the flu virus, just aching all over. I can remember as a youth, I would tire more easily than other teammates on my ball team, but I just thought that was natural,” says 71-year-old Ozark resident and retired clergy member Sonya Sue Brown, who was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 1994 after years of feeling unwell.

“It wasn’t until 1987 that I began searching for a solution to my fatigue and pain,” Brown says. “I was working for a physician in Oklahoma when I told him about my symptoms. The doctor ordered a lab work-up and I tested positive for lupus. He even sent two blood samples to two different laboratories to be sure of the diagnosis. I was tested the third time and that test proved negative for lupus. That’s when I was given the diagnosis of fibromyalgia.”

St. John’s Fibromyalgia Program Director Tina Talbert says learning self-care is an important component of St. John’s seven-week program.

“Sometimes it’s difficult to teach women with fibromyalgia that taking care of themselves is not selfish,” Talbert says. “Women are usually the main family caregivers and often put themselves last, but if we don’t take care of ourselves, stress, which creates illness, will take its toll on our health. We are seeing wonderful results in our patients who accept that taking care of themselves first is of utmost importance. This allows them to feel better and have greater enjoyment in life and in doing things for others.”

The program, which is located in St. John’s Hammons Heart Institute on the St. John’s campus in Springfield, uses the whole-body approach to pain relief. Fibromyalgia patients often have a history of widespread traveling pain on both sides of the body, above and below the waist. They have nonrestorative sleep and pain in at least 11 of the 18 tender points.

Trained clinicians work with the patient and his or her physician to design an individual treatment plan, which can include therapeutic massage, exercise, nutrition and psychological support. The program also offers auricular therapy, a treatment where micro-currents are used on specific points on the patient’s ear to release the body’s natural pain relievers.
Brown says St. John’s Fibromyalgia Program provided her significant relief from her symptoms.

“Out of 18 tender points, I only have two that are still painful,” Brown says. “My legs and knees give me the most problems, so I am learning how to take care of myself. The program has helped me so much … knowing that the staff is there to support me and understand what I am going through is of great comfort. I was already doing biofeedback and meditation, and adding the water aerobics, coping skills and massage therapy was the solution that I needed.”

The pain relief and coping skills Brown gained from the program has allowed her to focus again on her hobbies and ministry. Many of the program’s participants maintain what they’ve gained through the program by attending St. John’s water aerobics classes or one of the fibromyalgia support groups or self-help courses. A schedule of classes, events and support groups is available at www.stjohns.com/classes/default.aspx.

“My husband is officially retired, but we are still ministering in the Christian church in Ozark. He is ordained in the Disciples of Christ and United Church of Christ, and when you are in the Lord’s work, you are never retired,” she says.
Brown also became an ordained clergy member at the age of 60. She enjoys writing prose and poetry and she has also written and directed Christmas musicals. She recently began working on a book about her family history and what life was like before World War II.

What is Fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia, which used to be called fibrositis, refers to pain in the muscle and fibrous tissue. The cause of the condition is unknown, but viral or bacterial infections, car wrecks, and disorders such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis or hypothyroidism are thought to trigger its onset.
Some experts believe fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, a similar condition, may be related.
Fibromyalgia patients are more often women than men, but people of all ages are affected.

Common Symptoms

Common symptoms include fatigue, depression and anxiety, muscular or tension headaches and migraine headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, bladder irritability, numbness and tingling in extremities and cold intolerance.