Fibromyalgia is characterized by chronic, widespread musculoskeletal pain and associated fatigue, sleep disturbances, and other cognitive and somatic symptoms. For many patients, these symptoms persist for years and lead to frequent health care use; for some, fibromyalgia and its symptoms can be debilitating. Although many treatments are available, management remains challenging. These articles highlight the clinical features of fibromyalgia, discusses diagnostic criteria and their evolution, and reviews treatment options.
Known risk factors include:
- Age. Fibromyalgia can affect people of all ages, including children. However, most people are diagnosed during middle age and you are more likely to have fibromyalgia as you get older.
- Lupus or Rheumatoid Arthritis. If you have lupus or rheumatoid arthritis (RA), you are more likely to develop fibromyalgia.
Some other factors have been weakly associated with the onset of the condition, but more research is needed to see if they are real. These possible risk factors include:
- Sex. Women are twice as likely to have the condition as men.
- Stressful or traumatic events, such as car accidents, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Repetitive injuries. Injury from repetitive stress on a joint, such as frequent knee bending.
Our goal is to provide lifestyle tips that can help you mitigate many of the problems associated with the condition.
