Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a long-term condition that causes pain all over the body.

The main symptom of fibromyalgia is widespread pain. It might feel like:

• an ache
• a burning sensation
• a sharp stabbing pain
• a mixture of these 3 feelings

The pain is likely to be continuous, but it might be better or more severe at different times.

Along with the widespread pain, people with fibromyalgia might also have:

• increased sensitivity to sensations like touch, light, temperature and noise
• fatigue (extreme tiredness)
• muscle stiffness
• difficulty sleeping
• problems with mental processes (known as "fibro-fog"), like problems with memory and concentration
• headaches
• irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a digestive condition that causes stomach pain and bloating
• dizziness and clumsiness
• feeling too hot or too cold
• restless legs syndrome
• tingling, numbness, prickling or burning sensations in your hands and feet (pins and needles, also known as paraesthesia)
• unusually painful periods (if you get periods)
• anxiety
• depression

Contact a doctor if:

• you think you might have fibromyalgia

If you want to learn more about fibromyalgia, you can watch the Flippin' Fibromyalgia webinar from Flippin' Pain.

Doctors don't know why some people develop fibromyalgia. The exact cause is unknown, but it's likely that many factors play a part.

Your brain, nerves and spinal cord make up your central nervous system. Fibromyalgia might be caused by changes in how this system sends messages to your body and receives them back.

Fibromyalgia is a type of chronic pain.

Some people are more likely to develop fibromyalgia than others, and the reason lies in the genes they inherit (pass on) from their parents.

Fibromyalgia is often set off by a stressful event. The stress can be physical or emotional (psychological).

Possible triggers of fibromyalgia include:

• an injury
• a viral infection
• giving birth
• an operation
• the breakdown of a relationship
• being in an abusive relationship
• the death of a loved one

Sometimes there isn't an obvious trigger.

Fibromyalgia can be difficult to diagnose, because there's no specific test for it.

The symptoms vary from person to person, and they can look like the symptoms of several other conditions. So your doctor will have to rule those other conditions out first.

You'll be asked how your symptoms are affecting your daily life. You'll also be examined for signs of other conditions. The doctor will check for swollen joints, which might point to arthritis rather than fibromyalgia.

Tests for some of these other conditions include urine and blood tests. You may also have X-rays and other scans. If you're found to have another condition, you could still have fibromyalgia as well.

Doctors usually need certain criteria to be met before they diagnose fibromyalgia. These are the criteria used most widely:

• you have pain in multiple areas of your body
• your symptoms have stayed at a similar level for at least 3 months
• your symptoms can't be explained by any other reason
• you feel unrefreshed after sleep
• you have problems thinking or remembering (cognitive difficulties)
• you experience fatigue

You can also have other conditions alongside fibromyalgia, such as:

• depression
• anxiety
• irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• osteoarthritis
• hypermobility spectrum disorder

Finding all of them helps your doctor plan your treatment.

Fibromyalgia is a long term (chronic) condition, and there's no cure for it. But there are treatments that can relieve some of the symptoms, and that can make life with the condition easier.

Traditional treatments like pain medicine aren't always helpful for people with fibromyalgia. The best way to manage it is to learn about your condition and find the self management approaches that work best for you.

A doctor can help you explore your options.

Exercise, movement and activity can be a helpful way to manage pain in fibromyalgia.

A physiotherapist can help you build self-management skills, so pain has less of an impact on your life. They might work out an exercise programme just for you, suited to your needs, abilities and goals. Physiotherapy can also help prevent further loss of strength and build up your fitness.

Pain management movement videos

Visit the living with chronic pain page for more information about exercise and relaxation techniques.

Occupational therapy can help you manage your everyday activities around fibromyalgia. The aim is to do this without increasing your pain or overwhelming you. Your occupational therapist may suggest new ways to do things. They may also be able to support you to keep working, if you want to.

Living with fibromyalgia can be stressful, and talking therapies can help you manage that stress. Two examples are:

• cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), a treatment approach that helps you understand the link between how we think and what we do
• acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), which is often used for pain management

Medication can't cure fibromyalgia, but it can help reduce some symptoms. Talk to your doctor or a pain specialist about the possible benefits and risks.

Your doctor will most likely suggest you try exercise, CBT and physiotherapy first, because these treatments are more likely to help.

Antidepressants can help some people with fibromyalgia. They help to:

• relieve pain
• treat sleep problems

This can be useful even if you haven't been diagnosed with depression.

Other medicines can be used to treat fibromyalgia symptoms, but they're likely to be less effective.

If you're taking medicine and you don't feel it's helping, speak to your doctor, pharmacist or another healthcare professional.

Some people with fibromyalgia try complementary or alternative treatments, such as acupuncture or massage.

There's little scientific evidence that these treatments help in the long term. Still, some people find that certain treatments help them relax and feel less stressed, and that makes it easier to cope with the condition.

If you decide to use complementary or herbal remedies and you have any concerns, check with your local pharmacist or doctor first. Some remedies can react unpredictably with other medicine, or make it less effective.