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Fibromyalgia explained

Fibromyalgia syndrome (FS) literally means muscle pain. It is a common chronic disorder characterised by widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, multiple tender points and poor sleep.

'Tender points' refers to tenderness that occurs in precise, localised areas, particularly in the neck, spine, shoulders and hips. People with FS may also experience morning stiffness, fatigue, irritable bowel syndrome, depression, anxiety and cognitive symptoms such as troubles with concentration, short-term memory and handling multiple tasks.

Diagnosis of FS has been controversial because there are no specific laboratory tests. Until the 1990s, many doctors thought FS was largely psychosomatic, in part because the disease is often associated with depression. In recent years, however, scepticism has largely given way to interest in more fully characterising the syndrome and its effective treatment.

FS is more common in women of childbearing age, but children, the elderly and men can also be affected. It can be disabling: one survey of fibromyalgia patients found that 70 per cent considered themselves disabled and 26 per cent were receiving at least one form of disability payment.

Symptoms
Known as fibrositis, rheumatism and many other names since it was first described in 1816, fibromyalgia causes pain and/or a burning sensation in soft tissue throughout the body. Unlike arthritis, however, it does not cause swelling in the joints. The severity of fibromyalgia symptoms varies from person to person. For some people, pain or other symptoms can be so intense that they interfere with daily activities. For others, symptoms may cause discomfort, but are not incapacitating.

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