Article Sections

Introduction

Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that presents with widespread musculoskeletal pain along with fatigue, sleep disturbances, and other symptoms (eg, depressed mood, difficulty concentrating).

Pathophysiology

Although soft tissue pain is the predominant symptom, tissue inflammation (eg, on physical and histological examinations) and laboratory abnormalities are not present.  Rather, fibromyalgia is thought to represent abnormal processing of neural pain signals in the CNS, which amplifies painful stimuli.

Risk factors

Several factors may increase the risk of developing fibromyalgia:

  • Female sex
  • Chronic stress
  • Family history of fibromyalgia
  • History of trauma/abuse (which heightens pain/stress response)
  • Certain chronic medical conditions (eg, irritable bowel syndrome, depression, anxiety)

Clinical presentation

Fibromyalgia presents with a wide range of symptoms, including the following:

  • Widespread musculoskeletal pain (head, arms, chest, abdomen, legs, back/buttocks), typically involving at least 6 sites; inflammatory signs (eg, joint swelling, muscle weakness) not present

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