What is fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is a long-term condition that causes pain and tenderness all over your body.
Unlike arthritis, it’s not a problem with your joints, bones, or muscles. It is believed to be caused by the inability of your brain and spinal nervous system to monitor and process pain signals from the rest of your body.
The condition is also related to:
bad sleep
feeling unable to concentrate or remember things
Extreme persistent fatigue that does not go away with sleep or rest – this is called fatigue.
There may be many other symptoms that affect different parts of your body.
Symptoms
The main symptoms of fibromyalgia are:
Pain – some parts of your neck, back, etc. may feel like it’s all over your body.
tiredness, fatigue, and generally feeling like you have no energy
bad sleep – restless awakening
pain or stiffness that usually gets worse when or after you’re active.
It’s common for your condition to flare up and your symptoms to suddenly get worse.
Fibromyalgia can cause:
forgetfulness or poor concentration
stress, anxiety or depression
tingling, numbness or swelling of the hands or feet
headache
Restless legs syndrome – tingling and discomfort in the legs, especially at night
Irritability or depression or crying
you feel an urgent need to cry, especially at night
painful menstruation
diarrhea, constipation, stomach pain – sometimes diagnosed separately as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
increased sensitivity to cold, noise, knocks and bumps
sensitive or hypersensitive joints and muscles.
The pain may feel like it affects your entire body, or it may be very bad in just a few areas. Some people report that the pain is worse in extreme temperatures, such as extreme heat, cold, or humid weather.
Aside from the pain, people often say that fatigue is the worst part of fibromyalgia. This can be associated with difficulty thinking clearly or remembering things correctly, which is sometimes called fibro fog or brain fog.