Senate Resolution No. 2379

BY: Senator MAY

MEMORIALIZING Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim
May 12-18, 2024, as Fibromyalgia Awareness Week in
the State of New York

WHEREAS, The State of New York takes great pride in recognizing
official months established to increase awareness of serious health
issues that affect the lives of all New Yorkers; and

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to memorialize
Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim May 12-18, 2024, as Fibromyalgia
Awareness Week in the State of New York, in conjunction with the
observance of National Fibromyalgia Awareness Week; and

WHEREAS, An estimated 10 million people in the United States, and an
estimated 3-6 percent of the world's population, generally between ages
20-50, have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia; in the United States, this
number increases to approximately 8 percent by age 80, according to the
National Fibromyalgia Association; and

WHEREAS, A chronic syndrome with no known prevention or cure, that
is increasing at alarming rates, fibromyalgia causes debilitating
widespread chronic pain and fatigue; has a demonstrated genetic
component; occurs in women, men, and children of all ages and
ethnicities; and demonstrates some similarities with Long Covid,
signaling an increased need for more research funding; and

WHEREAS, Patients with fibromyalgia often have to live with
widespread pain throughout their bodies, extreme fatigue, sleep
disorders, digestive difficulties, stiffness and weakness, migraine
headaches, numbness and tingling, and impairment of memory and
concentration; and

WHEREAS, The average gap between medical research and clinical
practice is 17 years, and it often takes an average of five years to
receive a diagnosis of fibromyalgia; and

WHEREAS, Fibromyalgia patients are often misunderstood by the
medical, business, and education communities, primarily due to the lack
of teaching in medical schools about what is currently known regarding
this potentially disabling illness; and

WHEREAS, Chronic pain is a risk factor for suicide, as individuals
with chronic pain are at least twice as likely to report suicidal
behaviors or to complete suicide; as part of their global initiative,
the World Health Organization recommends that a comprehensive clinical
assessment of suicidal behaviors be routinely performed on all
individuals 10 years of age or older who report having chronic pain; and

WHEREAS, According to a fact sheet provided by the National
Fibromyalgia Association, 90% of physicians agree there is a need for
more physician-oriented information, and 82% of physicians agree that
fibromyalgia is difficult to treat with currently available tools; use

of complementary and alternative medicine is 2 1/2 times higher in
fibromyalgia patients; and

WHEREAS, The NIH reports that average direct costs above insurance,
over a three-month period, added up to $951, which could be translated
in a mean annual cost of $3,804 per patient; and

WHEREAS, Fibromyalgia patients often lose jobs, career promotion
opportunities, homes, and spouses or significant others due to lack of
awareness and understanding about the potentially devastating impact of
this illness; and

WHEREAS, Patients report that the optimal approach to treating
fibromyalgia is a team of physicians, with traditional and complementary
therapists, tailoring the treatment for each individual patient; this
can be accomplished best in an arrangement that facilitates
communication between the patient and the team; and

WHEREAS, International Institute For Human Empowerment, Inc., a
nonprofit charitable organization in the Capital District of New York,
is dedicated to empowering all who face discrimination as a result of
race, gender, socioeconomic status, age, disabilities, and lifestyle
choices; and

WHEREAS, The International Institute For Human Empowerment, Inc.,
under the leadership of Sue Shipe, PhD, developed the Fibromyalgia Task
Force of New York State to address inequities in the diagnosis and
treatment of fibromyalgia patients due to lack of education in medical
schools and continuing education for physicians, lack of understanding
by society at large, lack of understanding and adequate accommodations
by employers, and lack of legal protections due to the general lack of
recognition of the devastating impact of this illness; and

WHEREAS, The Fibromyalgia Task Force of New York State serves
patients across the State, provides education and advocacy nationally,
and shares information internationally; and

WHEREAS, The Fibromyalgia Task Force of New York State is announcing
the immediate release of their new website for physicians,
www.nyfibro.org, that provides an overview of current fibromyalgia
research with implications for new treatments, as well as a section of
resources that patients have found helpful for dealing with the symptoms
of fibromyalgia; and

WHEREAS, The Fibromyalgia Task Force of New York State recommends
the formation of a statewide committee comprised of patients,
researchers, physicians, and legislators; business, education, and
public health leaders; attorneys; complementary therapists; and others
to address issues relevant to fibromyalgia; and

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body recognizes the needs of those
chronically ill people who suffer from fibromyalgia, and urges all of
our citizens to support the search for prevention and a cure, and assist
those families who deal with this devastating syndrome on a daily basis;
now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim May 12-18, 2024, as
Fibromyalgia Awareness Week in the State of New York; and be it further

RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to The Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of the State of New
York, International Institute For Human Empowerment, Inc., Integrated
Tissue Dynamics, Albany Medical Center, New York State Department of
Health, Medical Society of the State of New York, and SUNY at Albany
Department of Public Health.