Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that causes widespread pain, fatigue, and many other symptoms. Fibromyalgia can be treated to help keep symptoms under control, but there is no cure.

For many years, fibromyalgia was a controversial topic in the medical field. Since it can’t be detected by tests and researchers haven’t yet identified how it develops, many doctors and people with the condition denied its existence or insisted that symptoms were purely psychological. Fibromyalgia is more widely recognized now, and guidelines exist for its diagnosis and treatment. Still, people with fibromyalgia often face social stigma.

What Is Fibromyalgia?

No one knows the cause of fibromyalgia or how it develops within the body, even though researchers have many theories. Although fibromyalgia is sometimes categorized along with arthritis, it isn’t a type of arthritis. Certain health conditions, stress, and major life changes appear to trigger fibromyalgia in some cases. People with a parent who has fibromyalgia are more likely to develop it themselves.

Fibromyalgia isn’t an autoimmune disease like multiple sclerosis or rheumatoid arthritis. Fibromyalgia is a pain condition that predominantly affects the central nervous system.

The History of Fibromyalgia

For centuries, pain without obvious cause was referred to as rheumatism — a term for muscle pain. At times, people who looked healthy but reported pain and fatigue were labeled mentally ill.

In the early 19th century, Scottish surgeon William Balfour described a pain syndrome that involved specific tender points. Sir William Gowers, a British neurologist, suggested the term “fibrositis” be used for muscular rheumatism in 1904.

The name fibromyalgia was adopted by the medical profession in 1976. The name of the disease comes from the Latin root “fibro” (referring to fibrous tissue such as tendons and ligaments) and the Greek words “myo” and “algos,” meaning muscle and pain, respectively.

In 1990, the American College of Rheumatology published criteria for diagnosing fibromyalgia. The American Pain Society announced guidelines for the treatment of fibromyalgia in 2005. In 2007, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved pregabalin (Lyrica), the first drug for treating fibromyalgia. The drug duloxetine (Cymbalta) was approved in 2008, and milnacipran (Savella) was approved in 2009.

How Common Is Fibromyalgia?

Around 4 million people in the United States live with fibromyalgia, and it can affect people at any age. Fibromyalgia has been found in populations around the world and may affect up to 5 percent of people.

According to a study in the journal Healthcare, women are much more likely than men to develop fibromyalgia, with women accounting for 80 percent to 96 percent of diagnosed cases. Fibromyalgia is more common among people diagnosed with an autoimmune condition such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, or spondylitis. Fibromyalgia is most commonly diagnosed in middle age but is sometimes diagnosed in children and older adults.

How Does Fibromyalgia Progress?

Fibromyalgia isn’t considered a progressive disease. Symptoms may grow worse over time, but there is no predictable disease course. Most often, people with fibromyalgia experience disease flares, when symptoms become more severe, and periods of remission, when symptoms lessen or disappear.

What Does It Feel Like To Have Fibromyalgia?

The main symptoms of fibromyalgia include chronic widespread pain in their muscles and joint pain or tenderness, often all over the body. It’s also common to feel tired a lot and experience fatigue, especially during fibromyalgia flares. Other common symptoms of fibromyalgia include sleep problems, brain fog (called fibro fog), memory problems, restless feet, and irritable bowel syndrome.

What Is the Life Expectancy of a Person With Fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia isn’t life-threatening and doesn’t shorten life expectancy, although it can lead to a lower quality of life and disability. You’re more likely to be hospitalized due to pain and mental health symptoms if you have fibromyalgia.

Alongside medications and physical therapy for pain management, mental health care such as cognitive behavioral therapy can help you manage stress, depression, and other emotional symptoms that often come with fibromyalgia. Talk to your doctor about treatment for fibromyalgia to help you manage your fibromyalgia symptoms.

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On MyFibroTeam, people share their experiences with fibromyalgia, get advice, and find support from others who understand.

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