𝐅𝐢𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐲𝐚𝐥𝐠𝐢𝐚: 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞 Given that patients may believe that pain always involves observable tissue damage or inflammation, reassurance that pain can also be related to problems with central nervous system (CNS) processing is often needed. Patient education includes messaging that fibromyalgia is chronic and noncurable but manageable and not life threatening, that treatment focuses on calming and resetting a hypersensitive CNS, and that nonpharmacologic self-care strategies play an important role in promoting health. Pain self-care occurs outside the medical office, in the context of family, friends, and community. Self-management strategies are health-promoting lifestyle changes that can increase positive affect and calm CNS hypersensitivity (seen in figure). Because each strategy involves the formation of a new habit, consistent use of the strategy is needed to produce the desired benefits. Encouragement from the provider team at follow-up visits can help with habit formation and self-care maintenance. A meta-analysis of randomized, controlled trials that examined many different self-care interventions for managing fibromyalgia supports the use of self-care in reducing pain, increasing functioning, and modulating mood over the short and long terms. Learn more in the Clinical Practice article “Fibromyalgia” by David A. Williams, PhD, and Daniel J. Clauw, MD: nej.md/4bK7CBj