What is Fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is a subset of Arthritis that is characterized by long-term, wide-spread pain. It can interfere with pain processing and can disturb sleep, resulting in fatigue and mental distress.

Why Should You Care?

2% of the U.S. population has Fibromyalgia
- That's approximately 5 million people!
- Predominantly found in females
  - female: male ratio of occurrence is 7:1
Most patients are diagnosed in middle age
Working age women who are hospitalized are 10x less likely to return to work
- They are 4x less likely to return within 1 year
- On average, patients lost 17 days of work, compared to 6 for people without fibromyalgia
- Fibromyalgia negatively impacts health-related life quality
  - Increases loss of work productivity

Causes

There are no known causes for Fibromyalgia.

Risk Factors

While it's not exactly known what increases risk, there are a few possible risk factors.

Physical Trauma
Abnormal Pain-Response Areas in Brain
Infection
Emotional Trauma
Sleep Disturbance

Symptoms

- Generalized deep aches	- Shooting, burning pain
- Joints aren't affected, even if it feels like it	- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Memory/concentration problems	- Numbness in hands and feet
- Reduced exercise ability	- Tension/migraine headaches
- Increased menstrual cramping	- Fibro fog
- Painful, tender areas in:
- Back of neck	- Shoulders
- Chest	- Lower back
- Hips	- Elbows
- Shins	- Knees

Treatments

While there are no known cures, there are a few strategies to manage Fibromyalgia.

- Physical therapy	- Exercise
- Stress-relief	- Anti-seizure drugs
- Antidepressants	- Muscle relaxant
- Pain relievers	- Sleeping aids
- Cognitive - behavioral therapy	- Support groups