Fibromyalgia
Last updated 18 Sept 2020
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Fibromyalgia is a common condition characterised by long-lasting (chronic) pain affecting many areas of the body. The pain is associated with tenderness that occurs with touch or pressure on the muscles, joints, or skin. Some affected individuals also report numbness, tingling, or a burning sensation (paresthesia) in the arms and legs.
Description
Fibromyalgia is a common condition characterised by long-lasting (chronic) pain affecting many areas of the body. The pain is associated with tenderness that occurs with touch or pressure on the muscles, joints, or skin. Some affected individuals also report numbness, tingling, or a burning sensation (paresthesia) in the arms and legs.
Other signs and symptoms of fibromyalgia include excessive tiredness (exhaustion); sleep problems, such as waking up feeling unrefreshed; and problems with memory or thinking clearly. People with fibromyalgia often report additional types of pain, including headaches, back and neck pain, sore throat, pain or clicking in the jaw (temporomandibular joint dysfunction), and stomach pain or digestive disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome. They have an increased likelihood of developing mood or psychiatric disorders including depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. However, many people with fibromyalgia do not have a mental health condition.
The major signs and symptoms of fibromyalgia can occur by themselves or together with another chronic pain condition such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, or systemic lupus erythematosus.
Inheritance patterns
The source lists the following possible inheritance patterns: Pattern unknown. More than one pattern can apply in different cases.
Related genes
Other names
Diffuse myofascial pain syndrome
Fibromyalgia syndrome
Fibromyalgia-fibromyositis syndrome
Fibromyositis
Fibrositis
FMS
Myofascial pain syndrome
Related patient information and medicines
Patient information leaflet
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a condition which causes pain and tenderness in the muscles and soft tissues in different areas of the body, associated with unrefreshing sleep and physical tiredness. There are various treatments that ease symptoms in many cases. Non-medication treatments which may help include exercise, heated pool treatment, and cognitive.
Patient information leaflet
Chronic pain
Chronic pain (also called long-term pain or persistent pain) is pain that lasts for more than three months. Chronic widespread pain of the condition called fibromyalgia , complex regional pain syndrome , chronic primary headache and orofacial pain, chronic primary visceral pain and chronic primary musculoskeletal pain are all examples of chronic.
Patient information leaflet
Joint pain
There are many causes of joint pain. This leaflet summarises the most common causes of joint pain, and discusses when you should seek help if you have joint pain. ... Fibromyalgia. Ankylosing spondylitis. Vitamin D deficiency. See the separate leaflet called Gout. Fibromyalgia Causes pains and tenderness in many areas of the body, as well as.
Patient information leaflet
Muscle weakness
Patients often show signs of depression and poor sleep. Fibromyalgia This condition resembles CFS. However, in fibromyalgia the muscles also become tender to touch and they tire extremely easily. They are not usually wasted and can demonstrate normal (although uncomfortable) strength on formal testing. People with fibromyalgia tend to complain.
Patient information leaflet
Cannabis-based medicinal products
Since a change in the law in 2018, some cannabis-based medicines have been available on prescription in the UK. However, there is only ev... Medical cannabis is only prescribed when other treatments have not worked or are unsuitable. There is some evidence medical cannabis can help certain types of chronic pain (for example in fibromyalgia),.
Patient information leaflet
Female sexual dysfunction
There is a link to the Female Sexual Function Index in the references below. How common is female sexual dysfunction. Pain on having sex may also relate to conditions elsewhere in the body - for instance, bowel conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS... Joint pain may make having sex painful, particularly if it affects the hips..
Further reading and references
- Fibromyalgia; MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine.
- Ablin JN, Buskila D. Update on the genetics of the fibromyalgia syndrome. Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 2015 Feb;29(1):20-8. doi: 10.1016/j.berh.2015.04.018. Epub 2015 May 18.
- Clauw DJ. Fibromyalgia: a clinical review. JAMA. 2014 Apr 16;311(15):1547-55. doi: 10.1001/jama.2014.3266.
- Docampo E, Escaramis G, Gratacos M, Villatoro S, Puig A, Kogevinas M, Collado A, Carbonell J, Rivera J, Vidal J, Alegre J, Estivill X, Rabionet R. Genome-wide analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms and copy number variants in fibromyalgia suggest a role for the central nervous system. Pain. 2014 Jun;155(6):1102-1109. doi: 10.1016/j.pain.2014.02.016. Epub 2014 Feb 26.
- Hauser W, Ablin J, Fitzcharles MA, Littlejohn G, Luciano JV, Usui C, Walitt B. Fibromyalgia. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2015 Aug 13;1:15022. doi: 10.1038/nrdp.2015.22.
- Hauser W, Ablin J, Perrot S, Fitzcharles MA. Management of fibromyalgia: practical guides from recent evidence-based guidelines. Pol Arch Intern Med. 2017 Jan 4;127(1):47-56. doi: 10.20452/pamw.3877. Epub 2017 Jan 4.
- Lee YH, Choi SJ, Ji JD, Song GG. Candidate gene studies of fibromyalgia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Rheumatol Int. 2012 Feb;32(2):417-26. doi: 10.1007/s00296-010-1678-9. Epub 2010 Dec 1.
- Park DJ, Lee SS. New insights into the genetics of fibromyalgia. Korean J Intern Med. 2017 Nov;32(6):984-995. doi: 10.3904/kjim.2016.207. Epub 2017 Oct 23.
- Wolfe F, Clauw DJ, Fitzcharles MA, Goldenberg DL, Hauser W, Katz RL, Mease PJ, Russell AS, Russell IJ, Walitt B. 2016 Revisions to the 2010/2011 fibromyalgia diagnostic criteria. Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2016 Dec;46(3):319-329. doi: 10.1016/j.semarthrit.2016.08.012. Epub 2016 Aug 30.
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