UNDERSTANDING ARTHRITIS

Fibromyalgia

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What is Fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia, pronounced fi·bro·my·al·gi·a, is a condition that causes widespread pain throughout the body. It can cause sleep problems, fatigue and mental or emotional distress. Patients with fibromyalgia often experience abnormal pain perception processing, which is a sensitivity to pain those without it do not have.  

Fibromyalgia affects about about 2% of the U.S. adult population, which is roughly 4 million adults. The cause for fibromyalgia is not known, but with the result of research over time has resulted in effective treatments that can help manage its impact. 

Woman with fibromyalgia pain grabs her shoulder

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FIBROMYALGIA

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Signs and Symptoms of Fibromyalgia

  • Full body pain and stiffness
  • Extreme tiredness/fatigue
  • Anxiety and/or depression
  • Sleeplessness
  • Issues with thinking, memory and concentration
  • Chronic headaches, including migraines

Other symptoms might include:

  • Numbness or tingling in hands and feet
  • Pain in the face or jaw
    • Temporomandibular joint syndrome (TMJ)
  • Digestive issues
    • stomach pain
    • bloating
    • constipation
    • irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

Who Has Fibromyalgia?

Around 4 million adults in the United States have fibromyalgia. That is roughly 2 out of 100 US adults who have fibromyalgia.

Anyone can have fibromyalgia, but some people are more likely to have it.

  • 6 out of 10 people with fibromyalgia are women.
  • Fibromyalgia is most often diagnosed around ages 35 – 40.
  • It often appears in people with other conditions that cause pain, such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, ankylosing spondylitis, osteoarthritis, and depression.
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