Is fibromyalgia considered serious?

Fibromyalgia can cause pain, disability, and a lower quality of life. US adults with fibromyalgia may have complications such as: More hospitalizations. If you have fibromyalgia you are twice as likely to be hospitalized as someone without fibromyalgia.

Is fibromyalgia classed as a long term illness?

Fibromyalgia, also called fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), is a long-term condition that causes pain all over the body.

Is fibromyalgia considered a rare disease?

Fibromyalgia is not a rare disease, as it occurs in 2–8% of the general population. It mainly affects women aged 20–55 [3].

What are the four stages of fibromyalgia?

Results: There were four parent stages of FM identified and labeled: 1) regional FM with classic symptoms; 2) generalized FM with increasing widespread pain and some additional symptoms; 3) FM with advanced and associated conditions, increasing widespread pain, increased sleep disturbances, and chemical sensitivity; ...

Can fibromyalgia be very severe?

Extreme sensitivity

Fibromyalgia can make you extremely sensitive to pain all over your body, and you may find that even the slightest touch is painful.

Is Fibromyalgia A Serious Health Problem?

What pain level is fibromyalgia?

Background. Fibromyalgia (FM) is defined by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) as chronic (>3 months), widespread pain (axial plus upper and lower segment plus left and right sided pain) and tenderness in at least 11 of 18 tender points [1].

Is fibromyalgia worse than arthritis?

Rheumatoid arthritis causes visible damage to joints. Fibromyalgia does not. Rheumatoid arthritis also gets progressively worse, causing swelling and sometimes deformities. The pain from fibromyalgia is more widespread, while rheumatoid arthritis is concentrated initially to hands, wrists, knees and balls of the feet.

What is the number one cause of fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is often triggered by an event that causes physical stress or emotional (psychological) stress. Possible triggers include: a serious injury, such as after a car accident.

How does a person get fibromyalgia?

Causes of Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia tends to run in families, so genetic factors are likely to contribute to the disorder, but little is known for sure about the specific genes involved. Researchers believe that environmental (nongenetic) factors also play a role in a person's risk of developing the disorder.

What causes fibromyalgia flare ups?

Fibromyalgia can cause widespread pain, fatigue, and stiffness. Symptoms tend to occur in periods of flares. Physical and emotional stress are the most common triggers of fibromyalgia flares. Other triggers include lack of sleep, weather changes, and hormone imbalances.

What kind of doctor do you see for fibromyalgia?

Your family doctor may be able to tell you have fibromyalgia if they're familiar with the condition. But you'll probably want to see a rheumatologist, a doctor who's an expert in problems with joints, muscles, and bones.

Does fibromyalgia get worse with age?

Fibromyalgia is a chronic disease that is often a lifelong condition. But fibromyalgia is not a progressive disease, meaning it will not get worse over time. It also does not cause damage to your joints, muscles, or organs.

What other conditions come with fibromyalgia?

Will fibromyalgia qualify for disability?

If you have fibromyalgia, you can apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. To obtain SSDI, you must meet the medical criteria for having fibromyalgia, as well as the SSA's work credit requirement.

What is the most effective treatment for fibromyalgia?

First-choice treatments for fibromyalgia are exercise and lifestyle changes. Studies prove these are very effective. Medications might help reduce fibromyalgia pain by 30% in some people. They work best in combination with non-medication therapies.

Is fibromyalgia a federal disability?

The Social Security Administration recognizes arthritis and fibromyalgia (FM) as qualifying disabilities for Social Security Disability Income (SSDI).

What organ systems does fibromyalgia affect?

Fibromyalgia was formerly classified as an inflammatory musculoskeletal disease but is now considered to be an illness that primarily affects the central nervous system.

What does fibromyalgia do to the brain?

Neurotransmitter studies show that fibromyalgia patients have abnormalities in dopaminergic, opioidergic, and serotoninergic systems. Finally, studies of brain anatomy show structural differences between the brains of fibromyalgia patients and healthy individuals.

How do I know if my pain is fibromyalgia?

Is fibromyalgia a nerve or muscle pain?

Fibromyalgia, or Fibromyalgia Pain Syndrome, is a chronic and widespread musculoskeletal pain and fatigue disorder. It is defined as a long-term, body-wide pain in muscles, ligaments and tendons – the soft fibrous tissues in the body.

Is fibromyalgia autoimmune or Neurological?

Fibromyalgia Might Be an Autoimmune Disorder, A New Study Says. Fibromyalgia, a chronic pain condition commonly thought to originate in the brain, might actually be a disorder of the immune system, according to a new study.

Does fibro run in families?

Yes. Fibromyalgia, a chronic pain condition that affects some six million or more Americans, can run in families. In fact, one of the most important risk factors for fibromyalgia is a family history of the disorder. Fibromyalgia is sometimes known to affect multiple members of the same family.

What do rheumatologists do for fibromyalgia?

The Role of the Rheumatologist

However, because fibromyalgia can cause chronic pain and fatigue similar to arthritis, some people may advise you to see a rheumatologist. As a result, often a rheumatologist detects this disease (and rules out rheumatic diseases).

What does fibromyalgia feel like in legs?

What does fibromyalgia leg pain feel like? If you're suffering from fibromyalgia leg pain, you may experience throbbing, shooting, achy, or burning sensations in your legs. Often, you'll feel the pain at your fibro tender points, particularly inside of each knee and on the hip just behind your hipbone.

Is fibromyalgia a muscle or joint pain?

What is fibromyalgia? Fibromyalgia is a condition that causes pain in muscles and soft tissues all over the body. It is an ongoing (chronic) condition. It can affect your neck, shoulders, back, chest, hips, buttocks, arms, and legs.