Top of the page. Topic Overview What is fibromyalgia? What causes fibromyalgia? No one knows for sure what causes fibromyalgia. But experts have some ideas, such as: Nerve cells may be too sensitive.
Chemicals in the brain neurotransmitters may be out of balance. The deep phase of sleep may be disrupted and affect the amount of hormones that your body releases. What are the symptoms? The main symptoms of fibromyalgia are: Deep or burning pain in your trunk, neck, low back, hips, and shoulders.
Tender points or trigger points on the body that hurt when pressed. People with fibromyalgia may have other problems, such as: Anxiety and depression. These can make you feel worse. Sleep problems and tiredness. Morning stiffness. Trouble concentrating. Irritable bowel syndrome. How is fibromyalgia diagnosed? Doctors diagnose fibromyalgia based on: How much of your body is affected by pain.
If you have pain above and below your waist and on both the left and right sides of your body, it is considered widespread. The more widespread your pain, the more likely it is that you have fibromyalgia. How bad your pain and other symptoms are. People who have fibromyalgia usually have pain. They usually also have fatigue, trouble sleeping, and trouble thinking. The more severe these symptoms are, the more likely it is that you have fibromyalgia.
How is it treated? You may be able to control your symptoms by: Getting regular exercise. This is one of the best ways to manage the pain.
Taking medicine, if your symptoms bother you. Going to counseling. This can help you cope with long-term chronic pain. Taking care of yourself. Good self-care includes finding better ways to handle stress, having good sleep habits, and talking to your doctor if you have symptoms of depression. Health Tools Health Tools help you make wise health decisions or take action to improve your health.
Actionsets are designed to help people take an active role in managing a health condition. Cause Fibromyalgia is a syndrome—a set of symptoms that occur together.
Some ideas include: Nerve cells may be too sensitive. Symptoms The symptoms of fibromyalgia vary from person to person. The most common symptoms are: Widespread deep or burning pain above and below your waist and on the right and left sides of your body. Pain is more common in the trunk , neck, low back, hips, and shoulders. It usually gets worse gradually and can interfere with even simple daily activities. Other symptoms that can occur along with pain include: Fatigue that interferes with work and daily activities.
Sleep problems, such as trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, or waking up feeling tired. Morning stiffness lasting less than an hour. Constipation or diarrhea related to irritable bowel syndrome. Memory problems and trouble concentrating. Anxiety or depression. What Happens For most people, fibromyalgia seems to involve a cycle of muscle pain, increased sensitivity to pain, and inactivity that may be made worse by sleep problems and fatigue. Increasing pain causes a person to be less physically active.
Muscles that aren't exercised regularly are more likely to be irritated during activity. And it may be that people with fibromyalgia are more sensitive to pain or have muscles that are more easily irritated. The irritated muscles are painful. Some doctors think that the muscles of people with fibromyalgia stay sore because they don't repair themselves as well as they should.
Muscle pain, sometimes occurring with disrupted sleep and daytime fatigue, leads to less and less activity. What Increases Your Risk Certain things may make you more likely to have fibromyalgia. Things that increase your risk risk factors include: Being female. Having certain health problems, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, mononucleosis , or depression.
Having been through a traumatic event such as a car accident. Having a family history of fibromyalgia. When should you call your doctor? If not diagnosed Call your doctor if you have had the following symptoms for more than 6 weeks without an obvious cause.
Widespread muscle tenderness and pain, particularly on both sides of the body and both above and below the waist Disturbed sleep tossing, turning, waking up frequently during the night and waking up feeling tired and unrested Muscle and joint stiffness that doesn't get better when you move around If diagnosed If you have fibromyalgia, call your doctor if you have: Symptoms of depression, such as a loss of interest in things you usually enjoy or changes in eating and sleeping habits.
These can often be treated if you tell your doctor about them. New symptoms or existing symptoms get worse. Your doctor may need to reassess your treatment, such as adjust your medicines or prescribe different ones. Who to see Health professionals who may be able to help you with fibromyalgia include: Family medicine physicians. Nurse practitioners. See What Is a Rheumatologist? When a rheumatologist is not the lead doctor, the individual may be referred to a rheumatologist to confirm a diagnosis of fibromyalgia.
Rheumatologists specialize in painful conditions that involve the joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments, and fibromyalgia is considered a rheumatic condition. A National Fibromyalgia Association online survey found almost half of the respondents were diagnosed by a rheumatologist. See Rheumatologist's Role in Patient Care. Common fibromyalgia symptoms include fatigue, pain and stiffness, sleep difficulties, and cognitive issues, but other symptoms may also be experienced.
Many people also have one or more serious coexisting conditions with fibromyalgia, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, ankylosing spondylitis , rheumatoid arthritis , or irritable bowel syndrome. See Characteristic Symptoms of Fibromyalgia. The lead doctor may recommend one or more of the following specialists to help with symptoms of fibromyalgia or coexisting conditions:.
See Arthritis Treatment Specialists. Fibromyalgia clinics and pain clinics also called pain management clinics are available in some areas. Trust your gut, and stick with doctors that make you feel safe, respected, and acknowledged. Before reaching out to any fibromyalgia doctors or providers in your area, have a list of questions ready.
These can include:. Pay attention to their answers and your gut when listening to their answers. A good doctor will spend time answering your questions. They should be willing to work as partners in your healthcare team, suggesting treatments that work best for you and your lifestyle. Both in-person and online recommendations can help. A local fibromyalgia support group is your best bet for finding high-quality recommendations for local fibromyalgia doctors. Find a group in your area here.
And know that certain doctors match better with certain people. Always go with your gut. You can also use review-based sites to find local doctors. We discuss this in-depth in a recent article on finding doctors near you. Talk to them and ask for recommendations for specialists in your area. You have treatment options. A fibro expert with Mayo Clinic , Connie A. Luedtke, R.
She notes:. They need to make their own health a priority. These include:. But, there are therapies that can help reduce your symptoms and get back to your life. To find a pain specialist who treats fibromyalgia in your area, click the button below. Weekly updates on conditions, treatments, and news about everything happening inside pain medicine.
View Larger Image. What kind of doctor treats fibromyalgia? Fibromyalgia is real. But if you can learn What are the monetary costs associated with fibromyalgia? How do I find the right doctor to help me with my fibromyalgia?
Diana Meeks.
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