HELP is at hand for sufferers of chronic pain and fatigue following the founding of a fibromyalgia support group by a former Kidderminster nurse.

Julie MacDonald, 43, of Chester Road North, was diagnosed with the condition two years ago after her car ploughed into a telegraph pole on the Worcester Road at 60mph causing severe whiplash injuries.

Mrs MacDonald, who set up the Wyre Forest branch of the Fibromyalgia Association UK, said the condition, which causes widespread pain and fatigue, often followed major surgery or a car accident.

Prior to her accident, she had undergone major abdominal surgery and the accident forced her to give up her job as occupational health nurse at engineering firm UEF last July.

Mrs MacDonald said: "It is a chronic condition which causes widespread pain and fatigue and can leave some people really disabled, even in wheelchairs.

"It can affect anyone from children to adults although it occurs more often in women than men. It feels like aching from head to toe but it can change location and become more severe in parts of the body that are used the most and it leaves you feeling tired or even exhausted."

She said the complaint was common but many people were not aware that they could get help. She added while the pain could be managed through the use of painkillers, there were other ways sufferers could help themselves, including a diet programme and the use of gentle exercise which should be gradually built up.

Mrs MacDonald said new research had revealed people suffering from the condition were found to have a low red cell magnesium count and underactive thyroid and adrenal glands.

The self-help group, which was set up last September, has 16 members and Mrs MacDonald can be contacted on 01562 637660.