Fibromyalgia

On this page

Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Symptoms
• Treatments and Therapies

Learn More

• Living With

See, Play and Learn

• No links available

Research

• Statistics and Research
• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Find an Expert

For You

• Children
• Patient Handouts

Summary

Fibromyalgia is a disorder that causes muscle pain and fatigue. People with fibromyalgia have "tender points" on the body. Tender points are specific places on the neck, shoulders, back, hips, arms, and legs. These points hurt when pressure is put on them.

People with fibromyalgia may also have other symptoms, such as

• Trouble sleeping
• Morning stiffness
• Headaches
• Painful menstrual periods
• Tingling or numbness in hands and feet
• Problems with thinking and memory (sometimes called "fibro fog")

No one knows what causes fibromyalgia. Anyone can get it, but it is most common in middle-aged women. People with rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases are particularly likely to develop fibromyalgia. There is no cure for fibromyalgia, but medicine can help you manage your symptoms. Getting enough sleep, exercising, and eating well may also help.

NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

Start Here

• Fibromyalgia (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
• Fibromyalgia (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health)
• Focusing on Fibromyalgia : A Puzzling and Painful Condition (National Institutes of Health)
• What Is Fibromyalgia? (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) Also in Spanish

Symptoms

• Fibromyalgia Symptoms or Not? Understand the Fibromyalgia Diagnosis Process (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)

Treatments and Therapies

• Best Medications to Treat Fibromyalgia (Consumers Union of U.S.)
• Fibromyalgia and Complementary Health Approaches (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
• Time to Talk: 6 Things to Know about Mind and Body Practices for Fibromyalgia (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)

Living With

• Fibromyalgia Misconceptions (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• Fibromyalgia Pain: Options for Coping (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• Fibromyalgia Patient Handbook (American Chronic Pain Association, American Pain Foundation) - PDF
• Living with Fibromyalgia, Drugs Approved to Manage Pain (Food and Drug Administration)

Statistics and Research

• Fibromyalgia (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Mind and Body Practices for Fibromyalgia: What the Science Says (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Fibromyalgia (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Risk for Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Fibromyalgia Patients: A National...
• Article: Social comparison processes and catastrophising in fibromyalgia: A path analysis.
• Article: Fibromyalgia and bipolar disorder: extent of comorbidity and therapeutic implications.
• Fibromyalgia -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• American College of Rheumatology
• Arthritis Foundation Also in Spanish
• Find a Rheumatologist (American College of Rheumatology)
• National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Also in Spanish

Children

• Fibromyalgia (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

• Fibromyalgia (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish