What Is Fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain disorder that affects millions of Americans each year—primarily women—and can be both physically and emotionally distressing.

Fibromyalgia comes from the Latin term for fibrous tissue (fibro) and the Greek words for muscle (myo) and pain (algia). Indeed, fibromyalgia sufferers experience widespread chronic muscle pain.

Discover 5 super simple ways to live well with fibromyalgia in our fibromyalgia slideshow.

The condition is mainly characterized by a series of tender points (often confused with trigger points, which are associated with chronic myofascial pain). The pain associated with these points is usually quite superficial—seemingly right beneath the skin.

Doctors have classified 18 tender points located over the neck, elbows, chest, back, hips, buttocks, and knees. These tender areas are small—usually about the size of a penny—but they are so sensitive that pressing them with a finger will often cause them to flare up with pain.

Patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia experience pain in at least 11 tender points, which can make life very painful. So painful, in fact, that fibromyalgia and depression often co-exist. An interesting note: fibromyalgia was once considered a mental disorder, but research has shown that people with fibromyalgia may have a lower threshold for pain. This could be from injury, emotional distress, or abnormal levels of substances in the brain and spinal cord that are linked to pain sensitivity, but the exact cause is unclear.

People with fibromyalgia also report having sleep disorders, chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, and migraines. Doctors have yet to discover the relationship between these other conditions and fibromyalgia. Fortunately, there are treatments available to help reduce the pain of fibromyalgia and its associated conditions. You may read about them in our article about all fibromyalgia treatments.

Another good resource for fibromyalgia information is Practical Pain Management, a sister site of SpineUniverse. Check out the Fibromyalgia Center for fibromyalgia information reviewed by pain management specialists.

Moreover, doctors know relatively little about the disorder. There is no clear understanding of fibromyalgia's cause, symptoms, tests, or treatments. However, new FDA-approved medications and recent findings are shedding light on this elusive condition.