It can be difficult to diagnose and treat. The term fibromyalgia means pain in the muscles, ligaments, and tendons that compose the fibrous tissues of the body. It can arise at any age, and more women than men are affected. Routine laboratory tests in fibromyalgia are normal. Muscle pain, tenderness, and stiffness ebb and flow throughout the body, especially the back, shoulders, neck, and thighs.
Patients are sensitive to pressure applied to certain areas of the body, called tender points.
Fibromyalgia is often accompanied by mild to severe fatigue, chronic headaches, sleep problems, and irritable bowel syndrome. Symptoms may be aggravated by stress, anxiety, depression, hormonal fluctuations, cold or drafty environments, changes in weather, and other factors. Rather, the disorder often responds to treatment with antidepressant drugs. They are prescribed in low doses not for their antidepressive effects but because they appear to block endorphins, which are needed for transmission of pain messages. In addition, recent research suggests benefits from regular aerobic exercise, including muscle stretching for flexibility, strengthening with light weights, and walking to raise the heart rate to 60 to 70 percent of target range.