Anyone with chronic neck and shoulder pain following a car accident may be diagnosed as having fibromyalgia when in fact, they are simply experiencing long-term symptoms of whiplash. How can we tell the difference?Fibromyalgia, a common painful disorder among women in their middle years (40 to 60 years old) is no longer considered a "disease" but rather a syndrome. The term syndrome is used to represent a group of symptoms that tend to occur together either at the same time or in close proximity...

There have been some significant breakthroughs in our understanding (and therefore treatment) of fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). Today's modern approach to is multimodal, meaning many different treatment options are pursued at the same time. Combining medications with exercise, behavioral counseling, and alternative medicine have made it possible to live a more normal life for those who suffer with this condition.What exactly is fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS)? FMS is a group of symptoms that tend to o...

Are you having constant muscle aches and joint pain? Perhaps headaches on top of that or trouble sleeping? Not sure why you can't sleep at night? You may have a condition called fibromyalgia or fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). How can you find out?

Scientists are slowly uncovering the mysteries of fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). Instead of seeing this condition as a painful musculoskeletal problem, it's looking more and more like a complex nervous system disorder affecting (in part) how pain messages are processed.

Do you suffer with Fibromyalgia? This article describes a controlled study comparing the outcome of a 12-week session of pilates exercises done three times/week with a home exercise program -- comprised of relaxation and stretching exercises for fibromyalgia patients. The outcome showed that the pilates group reported a decrease in pain, better physical function and increases in ADL performance, and qualitiy of life, at the immediate post exercise session; and no difference in either group 12 we...

Fibromyalgia has a range of symptoms, from pain to fatigue to difficulty sleeping, among others. This wide variety in how it presents can make fibromyalgia a difficult-to-treat illness as there is no treatment for the illness itself, only the signs and symptoms. In addition, there are other problems that are not uncommon among people with fibromyalgia, including irritable bowel disorder and anxiety disorders. Doctors have tried treating fibromyalgia with different types of medications and have b...

Pain that lasts beyond the expected time after an injury or pain that seems to develop for no apparent reason continues to baffle scientists and pain specialists around the world. This type of pain labeled chronic has been the focus of neuroimaging studies for the last two decades. Neuroimaging has opened our eyes to the changes in the brain that accompany chronic pain. Changes that affect the anatomy, biochemistry, and neurochemistry of the nervous system.What kinds of studies make up this cate...

Fibromyalgia is a medical term for a condition of aches and pains all over the body along with a laundry list of other symptoms. Is it a real problem? Is there any way to treat this condition successfully? And how can you tell if this is what you have instead of other similar problems such as Lyme disease, Epstein-Barr virus, multiple sclerosis, or arthritis?The authors of this review article on the topic of fibromyalgia attempt to answer all of these questions and more. They provide a quick sum...

People who suffer from chronic pain syndromes like fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, temporomandibular disease (jaw pain), or pelvic pain may have more in common than doctors once believed. Recent research has uncovered some new understanding about the way pain develops and is perceived by the affected individual that may link these conditions together. In this review article, pain scientists present the latest information about one condition in particular: fibromyalgia.

I hurt all over. I feel like a truck ran over me when I wake up in the morning. These are the most common complaints of patients suffering from a condition known as fibromyalgia. In addition to widespread pain, patients with fibromyalgia also report a wide range of other symptoms such as fatigue, difficulty sleeping, anxiety, depression, stiffness, and mental fog to name just a few.