Assembly Resolution No. 409

BY: M. of A. Gunther

MEMORIALIZING Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim
May 7-14, 2017, as Fibromyalgia Awareness Week in
the State of New York

WHEREAS, An estimated 10 million people in the United States, and an
estimated 3-6 percent of the world's population, have been diagnosed
with Fibromyalgia, (FM), an illness for which there is yet no known
cause or cure; and

WHEREAS, According to the National Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain
Association, while 75-90% of those diagnosed with Fibromyalgia are
women, yet, children and men are also affected; Juvenile Fibromyalgia is
gaining increasingly more attention and research; and

WHEREAS, A chronic syndrome that is increasing at alarming rates,
Fibromyalgia causes debilitating widespread pain and fatigue, appears to
have a genetic component, and occurs in women, men, and children of all
ethnicities; and

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

WHEREAS, It often takes an average of five years to receive a
diagnosis of Fibromyalgia, and medical professionals frequently are
inadequately educated regarding the diagnosis and treatment of
Fibromyalgia; and

WHEREAS, A 2007 study found that FM patients spend between
$100-$1,000 per month above insurance costs to see healthcare providers;
costs in the United States are estimated between $12-14 billion per year
and account for loss of 1-2% of the nation's productivity; and

WHEREAS, According to a survey of 1,168 FM patients, 25% had
received disability payments, and total healthcare costs may be 2-3
times higher than patients without FM; failure to diagnose and
adequately treat Fibromyalgia has deep financial implications for
patients and for the healthcare system; 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
FM is difficult to treat with the tools currently available; use of
complementary and alternative medicine is 2 1/2 times higher in FM
patients; and

WHEREAS, Patients report that the optimal approach to treating
Fibromyalgia is a team of physicians and complementary therapists
tailoring the treatment for each individual patient; and

WHEREAS, Fibromyalgia patients are often misunderstood by the
medical, business, and education communities, primarily due to the lack

of education in medical schools about what is known regarding this
potentially disabling illness; and

WHEREAS, Fibromyalgia patients often lose jobs, insurance, homes,
and spouses or significant others due to lack of awareness and
understanding about the potentially devastating personal impact of
Fibromyalgia; and

WHEREAS, New York State's focus on Fibromyalgia and its impact on
patients' lives will help guarantee hope for a better future for people
with 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 a cure and assist those
individuals and 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 Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim May 7-14, 2017, as
Fibromyalgia Awareness Week in the State of New York; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of the State of
New York.