Am I brave, or am I just following the evidence with a holistic approach?
I wanted to share a comment a patient shared. It came from deep insight and compassion. She shared that I had a lot of bravery for...
Dr. Michael Lenz is unique in many ways, but one is the broad and in-depth training, experience, and certifications he has achieved. This diverse and comprehensive expertise gives you and your loved ones the confidence and perspective of a compassionate physician passionate about lifelong learning and teaching. What are these "medical hats"?
Do you need a pediatrician? Dr. Lenz can care for your newborn through college to help navigate the challenges and joys of raising children.
Are you an adult in need of a doctor? Dr. Lenz also can care for you and your children, often in back-to-back visits, allowing significant time-saving.
Do you or your child need help with fibromyalgia or other invisible illnesses like migraines, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, and other conditions often coexisting, like ADHD and Restless Leg Syndrome? He is an author, podcast host, producer, and blogger for Conquering Your Fibromyalgia.
Are you interested in a holistic doctor using an evidence-based lifestyle medicine approach to preventing and treating chronic illnesses like diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure? Are you struggling to lose and maintain weight?
Do you want the expertise of a lipid specialist who has training in the understanding of complex cholesterol problems leading to heart disease and the expertise in the use of advanced diagnostic tools to detect this silent killer and then offer comprehensive treatment options with the goal of preventing heart attacks, strokes, and bypass surgery?
Michael helps care for these diseases along with caring for common conditions affecting children and adults.
Did you get diagnosed but not given any confident guidance on how to live well with fibromyalgia? If you have you are like most. The second most common diagnosis a rheumatologist makes is fibromyalgia, but because it involves the central nervous system and not the classic inflammatory illnesses that are treated by rheumatologists( although many with inflammatory conditions have fibro as well) most are deferred back to your primary care doctor who doesn't feel comfortable treating you or are referred to a pain clinic that often involves more of a medical model of acute pain management offering epidural injections for herniated discs for example. The only other options most find are in the alternative medicine world that may offer treatments that are not always evidence-based. This website, book, podcasts, and blog hope to help fill a needed void.
There is no secret to help you live better with fibromyalgia. You won't find a special proprietary blend of supplements, herbs, or spices or a specific protocol at the end of the book or on this website. Instead, you will find compassion and care from a doctor who first wants to help you grow in your understanding of all the complexities of fibromyalgia and related problems.
The book's title would have been real answers and solutions to real pain, fatigue, and brain fog. The answers and subsequent solutions involve the best of medical management and understanding and the best of lifestyle medicine.
In years past, depression was often ignored as a "real" problem until finally, the medical community acknowledged that this mood disorder is a valid problem affecting millions and needs to be treated. Now it is time for physicians to step and realize that fibromyalgia is a similarly debilitating medical problem that strongly merits diagnosis and treatment.
Everyone reading this is coming from a different experience and perspective. You may have fibromyalgia and doing fairly well to havin extreme struggles. You may have a loved one who is enduring it, or you may be a doctor or working in the medical community and want to learn more. The goal of the book, website, podcasts, and blog are to give information and tools to help you live better with fibromyalgia. If you want to learn more, it would be valuable for you to read the book or listen to it on the audiobook. I would recommend listening to the podcast episodes entitle Do I have Fibromyalgia and How bad is it? and Do I have Fibro series? I would also parouse through the many episodes and find ones that sound interesting to you. The podcast includes people living with fibromyalgia, some of whom who have been able to recover with comprehensive care. There are also series that look into the history of fibromyalgia such as the series done on Margaret Mitchell, the author of Gone with the Wind, who struggled greatly with fibromyalgia and related problems 100 years ago. The goal of the podcast and blog are to supplement what is covered in the book.
Lastly, If you find these helpful, I would appreciate and encourage you sharing these with others. That way, more people can live better with fibromyalgia.
Many people have either been told or read that fibromyalgia isn't real or that it is just all in their heads. This misunderstanding, unfortunately, causes harm and is a disservice to those suffering. If you are one of the estimated 10 million people in the United States who are suffering from fibromyalgia, then you know it is real. If you don't have FM, you will, at a minimum, gain a deeper understanding of what you or your loved one is experiencing. If you do have FM, you will feel validated for what you are enduring. You will also receive actionable steps to thrive, not just survive with FM and its related problems. You will also learn practical and realistic strategies for conquering your fibromyalgia.
Joel L. Young, MD is the Medical Director and Founder of the Rochester Center for Behavioral Medicine. Dr. Young is certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology with added qualifications in geriatric, forensic, and adolescent psychiatry. He serves as a Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the Wayne State University School of Medicine. He is also Chief Medical Officer of the Clinical Trials Group of Southeast Michigan. He has served as the primary investigator for more than 70 clinical trials, authoring over 100 articles. He has also authored books on chronic fatigue, mental illness, substance abuse, and ADHD. In addition to clinical care, research, and teaching, Dr. Young also collaborates with the NFL and MLB to evaluate professional athletes.
"Conquering Your Fibromyalgia is an essential contribution that should be devoured by people who have fibromyalgia and by physicians who treat them. At least four million people in the United States suffer from fibromyalgia (FM), a syndrome encompassing varying and fluctuating levels of pain, fatigue, and sleep disturbances in addition to major difficulties with memory and concentration. There is scant understanding of the condition and certainly no unified approach to treatment. Most people with FM face resistance from skeptical doctors many of whom are convinced that FM is a fictional disorder endorsed by individuals seeking to obtain disability or have other nefarious motivations. Even sympathetic clinicians struggle to find meaningful and long- lasting treatments that improve their patient’s sense of well- being and daily functioning. In his book, Dr. Lenz describes the endless obstacles encountered by many FM patients. This labyrinth needs to be deconstructed as it leads to patient and physician frustration and subjects too many FM sufferers to unnecessary procedures and dangerous medications. Beyond reviewing the growing literature regarding the use of non-opiate central acting medications for FM, the author endorses a holistic approach combining with exercise, medication, healthy sleep and thoughtful nutrition. Lenz is at his best when describing the role of a plant-based diet in this complement. These are the sections of the book without peril. Conquering Your Fibromyalgia is a unique addition to the literature and knowledge about fibromyalgia. I am eager for patients and their providers to integrate this well weaved and highly researched book. Internists, family doctors, and pediatricians, as well as specialists such as rheumatologists, orthopedic surgeons, neurologists, and psychiatrists will be enhanced by the author’s mastery. In years past, depression was often ignored as a “real” problem until finally the medical community acknowledged that this mood disorder is a valid problem affecting million and needs to be treated. Now it is time for physicians to step up and realize fibromyalgia is a similarly debilitating medical problem that strongly merits diagnosis and treatment. Conquering Your Fibromyalgia is an important contribution to bringing both doctors and patients up to speed on this profoundly serious problem today, offering them helpful solutions to their perplexing problem."
Dr. Neal Barnard is an adjunct associate professor of medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C., president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, and a New York Times bestselling author of 18 books and more than 80 scientific publications. In 2003, he was funded by the National Institutes of Health to test the benefits of a plant-based diet for Type 2 diabetes. His practice focuses on diabetes and other metabolic problems, quantifying the power of nutritional interventions in research studies that have been cited by major medical organizations and the U.S. government. He became a fellow of the American College of Cardiology in 2015, and received the Trailblazer Award from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine in 2016. Find him on Facebook and Instagram.
“This book will provide hope for anyone who is struggling with fibromyalgia. Dr. Michael Lenz provides a comprehensive look at this challenging disease and shares practical tips that can help, highlighting the benefits of a healthful plant-based diet.”
Dr. Heather Toth has a broad background in internal medicine, pediatrics and medical education. Dr. Toth joined the Medical College of Wisconsin in 2001 for internship and residency and served an additional year as chief resident. Her combined training in both pediatric and adult medicine promotes the ability to care for patients whose illnesses and diseases may span several decades. She is honored to remain at the Medical College of Wisconsin in both the department of medicine and the department of pediatrics as an associate professor and a hospitalist for internal medicine and pediatrics. She truly enjoys her career and looks forward to the opportunity to coordinate care, educate and serve others to improve the health of patients and their families.
“Love the title and an extremely helpful resource for patients, families, and providers with real world case scenarios and practical tips! Validates the fibromyalgia diagnosis and shares helpful take- home messages. Easy to read and understand, would share with anyone suffering from fibromyalgia type symptoms, their loved ones, and providers.”
Dr. Michael Lenz has changed the lives of our family. My 17-year-old son has been suffering from Fibromyalgia for over three years. However, we didn't know it was fibromyalgia until about one year ago. And, to add to that, I'm a pharmacist who initially, even after he was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, was in denial. My pharmacist training, and just being a father, was set on finding an exact cause of what was going on with my son and fixing it. My son was very active in sports and outdoor activities for much of his life. However, our journey began after a football injury to his lower leg in 8th grade. He was complaining of general pain, not just in his leg but his whole body. He was having trouble focusing at school. He was becoming depressed and frustrated that he was not feeling any better. To summarize our experiences, I will list the types of doctors, specialists, and procedures we tried: 1 MRI of the injured knee 2)Trip to Children's Hospital to have a bone biopsy done to rule out cancer 3)Lyme disease test 4) visit to pediatric rheumatology 5) diagnosis of hemochromatosis 6) visit to children's Hospital again with a genetic doctor who made the diagnosis of fibromyalgia 7) visit to pediatric cardiology 8) visits to the chiropractic 9)visits with pediatric psychology 10) mental health therapy. Overall, almost every test came back normal. There was no explanation for why he was feeling the way he felt. Buying Dr. Lenz's book was life-changing as it was like it was telling our story exactly. As a result, my son was diagnosed with comorbid ADHD as well, which I was also in denial of as a pharmacist because my son, up until recently, has always performed well in school and didn't have symptoms of hyperactivity, etc. However, starting treatment for this has drastically improved his overall general health. I'm happy to say that we are optimistic that our son will continue to improve. I can't thank Dr. Lenz enough for doing so much research on this severely under-recognized condition. His podcasts, as well as his book, are full of useful information to help all patients who are suffering from this complicated and frustrating condition. As a fellow healthcare professional, this experience has greatly impacted my views and treatment options for this condition. Thank You, Dr. Lenz, for your dedication and expertise in helping to share your important and evolving information with all patients.
Brewer 2025
I've been suffering with symptoms for years and was recently diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. I was handed a pamphlet and told that there wasn't much I could do and to go back to my primary care doctor for further help. My primary care doctor who knew nothing about fibromyalgia and was the one who sent me to the specialist in the first place? Yep, that one. Needless to say, I was on my own. I began researching and studying everything I could find. Then I found this book! All I can say is WOW. The clear explanations, the easy to read format, the suggestions and most of all, the compassion... Dr Lenz hit the nail on the head. This book is a must read for everyone who has fibro, who knows someone who has fibro or who works in the medical profession. I was without hope until I read this book. Now, I feel like I am not alone and have hope for the future.
Thank you Dr Lenz.
If you are suffering from unexplained pain and haven't found answers, Dr. Lenz's book provides credible insight into why you feel this way and how to find relief.
You will find yourself identifying with the information he provides.
Lifestyle medicine is a medical specialty that uses therapeutic lifestyle interventions as a primary modality to treat chronic conditions. This includes type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and obesity but also is very helpful for chronic conditions like fibromyalgia and related problems like irritable bowel syndrome and headaches, for example. Lifestyle medicine uses a evidence-based, whole-person, prescriptive lifestyle change to treat and, when used intensively, often reverse such conditions. Applying the six pillars of lifestyle medicine—a whole-food, plant-predominant eating pattern, physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, avoidance of risky substances, and positive social connections—also provides effective prevention for these conditions.