Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition, with signs of depression and fatigue, along with tenderness in the muscles and tissues surrounding the joints. While the cause of fibromyalgia is unknown, researchers have found pain-processing abnormalities in the spines and brain stems of some people with fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia research suggests that the condition is a diffuse problem of sensory volume control in which patients' thresholds are altered not just to pain, but to other stimuli such as heat, noise, and strong odors. Indeed, fibromyalgia frequently occurs with other syndromes that are also associated with hypersensitivity, such as irritable bowel syndrome, and TMG sndrome. Depression, stress, and poor sleeping habits aggravate fibromyalgia.

Pain medicines not as effective for fibromyalgia patients
Patients with fibromyalgia often do not respond to the types of medications that relieve other people's pain. People with fibromyalgia have reduced binding ability of a type of receptor in the brain that is the target for opioid painkiller drugs such as codeine. When the painkillers cannot bind to the mu-opioid receptors, they cannot alleviate the patient's pain as effectively. Journal of Neuroscience, September 2007.

Fibromyalgia Diagnosis - fibromyalgia sign
Musculoskeletal aches at 3 or more sites for 3 or more months are a good sign of a fibromyalgia trigger point. Severe pain in 5 out of 11 tender point sites (occiput, low cervical, trapezius, suprasinatus, second rib, lateral epicondyle, gluteal, greater trochanter, knee) plus at least 3 out of 10 associated symptoms (fatigue, sleep disturbance, affective disorders, irritable bladder or bowel, chronic headache, perception of swelling, numbness, pain modulated by activity, weather or stress, esophageal dismobility). Laboratory tests are usually normal.

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Chronic fatigue syndrome fibromyalgia

Cause of fibromyalgia
The cause of fibromyalgia is not known, but could include poor diet, lack of exercise, stress, poor sleep routine.

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