As many as fifteen million Americans may suffer from the disabling medical condition known as fibromyalgia. Nonetheless, the medical community is divided over the reality of this condition. One side argues that the patients are masquerading--pretending a disability they know they do not have. The other side counters that fibromyalgia sufferers are abused by a society that fails to give them the support they deserve. Without taking sides, Dr. M. Clement Hall presents six fictional, though factually based, case studies of typical patients from differing socioeconomic backgrounds and describes the varying investigations, diagnoses, and treatments they have undergone. Each case study represents a composite of many years of clinical practice rather than one specific patient. Collectively, they cover the range of experiences fibromyalgia patients are likely to have encountered. Dr. Hall thus presents an objective overview of the fibromyalgia situation today in North America.--From publisher description.