Fibromyalgia and Morgan Freeman

John Keddington
John Jensen
PTA 1010

Fibromyalgia is a condition that affects around 2% of the population in the United States

of America. It affect women more then men with around 3.4% having the condition and

only o.5% of men having the condition. There has yet to be a clear consensus on what

leads to fibromyalgia, but there are several theories. Most researchers believe that

fibromyalgia is caused by several factors including both physical and mental irritants.

These causes could possibly include low levels of serotonin, brain or spinal cord trauma,

stress, sleep disorders, depression, genetics, and other factors.

Fibromyalgia manifests itself as a chronic pain disorder that leads tenderness and

pain across the body or in specific areas. This pain can wax and wane over time and

affect different regions depending on the injury and causes. This pain can also lead to

other symptoms including fatigue, sleep disturbances, cognitive difficulties, stiffness,

depression, anxiety, migraines, and other problems. In an interview by Esquires we learn

that Morgan freeman suffers Fibromyalgia in his left arm and shoulder. This was caused

by a car accident, which left his left arm relatively useless, and with severe pain.

As of right now there is no cure for fibromyalgia but there are a variety of

treatments, which can help one manage the pain. In a peer reviewed medical journal

published by JAMA, they discuss the variety of treatments available and their relative

success at reducing the pain. From this study the basic four treatments, which resulted in

the highest success, are patient education, certain medications, exercise, and cognitive

therapy. Based on strong evidence they determined that a prognosis and proper education
leads to improved satisfaction and fewer symptoms. The two drugs that had strong

evidence for efficacy are Amitriptyline and Cyclobenzaprine. And exercise and cognitive

therapy if maintained both led to significant improvements.

Unfortunately because about only 1 in 8 patients with fibromyalgia is male they

are often diagnosed less often and dont receive helpful treatments. This is often due to

gender roles and social expectations and being reluctant to admit severe pain or

discomfort. Morgan Freeman in interviews talks about how difficult fibromyalgia in his

arm is and about how much it has affected his life. Because of the fibromyalgia he no

pilots jets the way he used nor is he able to sail as well. He is also limited in his ability to

drive and no longer drives manual transmissions. He also doesnt ride horses as much

and even though he does do activities such as golf he has had to learn how to golf with

one hand.

Despite all of this he continues to work and do a lot of activities normally.

Unfortunately Morgan Freeman has found very few treatments to relieve him of pain and

help with the fibromyalgia. He constantly wears a compression glove to prevent pooling

of blood and the one treatment he has found that relieves him of pain is medical

marijuana. This has led him to be a huge advocate of legalizing marijuana. Despite the

little relief he has found he has continued to be a major influence in Hollywood and

continues to star in many movies.

Fibromyalgia continues to be a difficult condition to treat. For those in the field

of physical therapy there are a few things we can do to help patients with fibromyalgia.

Fitness training is one of the more helpful treatments that produces some of the best

results. Other treatments include physiotherapy, cryotherapy, massage therapy, and

TENS. Regardless there is no single best option for treating fibromyalgia and each

patient need to be treated according to their needs and worked with until a solution that

works for them is found. As research in this field continues there will continue to be

more treatments and it is up to those who work with fibromyalgia patients to help them

find the treatment that works best for them.

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Web. 22 Apr. 2017.

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Goldenberg DL, Burckhardt C, Crofford L. Management of Fibromyalgia

Syndrome. JAMA. 2004;292(19):2388-2395.
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"The challenge men face when they have fibro." Fibromyalgia-

Symptoms.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2017.

Offenbcher, M., and G. Stucki. "Physical therapy in the treatment of

fibromyalgia." Scandinavian journal of rheumatology. Supplement. U.S.
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Stern, Marlow. "Morgan Freeman Shoots Straight: On Legalizing

Marijuana and His Escape From New York." The Daily Beast. The Daily
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Chiarella, Tom. "The Morgan Freeman Story, by Tom Chiarella." Esquire.

N.p., 11 May 2015. Web. 22 Apr. 2017.