Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia (PDF, 100 KB)
Fibromyalgia (PDF, 100 KB)
Enter a city, ZIP code (such as 20002), address, state, or place
To receive Publications email updates
Fibromyalgia, or fibromyalgia syndrome, is a condition that causes aches and pain all over the body. People with fibromyalgia often experience other symptoms, such as extreme tiredness or sleeping, mood, or memory problems. Fibromyalgia affects more women than men. The pain, extreme tiredness, and lack of sleep that fibromyalgia causes can affect your ability to work or do daily activities. Treatment can help relieve pain and help prevent flare-ups of symptoms.
Fibromyalgia is also called fibromyalgia syndrome. A syndrome is a group of symptoms that happen together. People with fibromyalgia experience aches and pain all over the body, fatigue (extreme tiredness that does not get better with sleep or rest), and problems sleeping.
Fibromyalgia may be caused by a problem in the brain with nerves and pain signals. In other words, in people with fibromyalgia, the brain misunderstands everyday pain and other sensory experiences, making the person more sensitive to pressure, temperature (hot or cold), bright lights, and noise compared to people who do not have fibromyalgia.
Fibromyalgia has been compared to arthritis. Like arthritis, fibromyalgia causes pain and fatigue. But, unlike arthritis, fibromyalgia does not cause redness and swelling, or damage to your joints.
Maybe. Fibromyalgia is more common in people who:1
Chronic (long-term), widespread pain is the most common symptom of fibromyalgia. You may feel the pain all over your body. Or, you may feel it more in the muscles you use most often, like in your back or legs. The pain may feel like a deep muscle ache, or it may throb or burn. Your pain may also be worse in the morning.
Other symptoms of fibromyalgia include:3,4,5
Women with fibromyalgia often have more morning fatigue, pain all over the body, and IBS symptoms than men with fibromyalgia have.8
Fibromyalgia symptoms can happen without warning. But certain events may trigger flare-ups, including:
Researchers are not sure exactly what causes fibromyalgia. Genetics may play a role.
Studies also show that the brains of people with fibromyalgia may not process pain in the same way as people who do not have fibromyalgia. Lower levels of certain brain neurotransmitters, such as serotonin or norepinephrine, may cause you to be more sensitive to pain and have a more severe reaction to pain. Imaging studies of the brain show that people with fibromyalgia feel pain when people without fibromyalgia do not.10 Some medicines prescribed to treat fibromyalgia try to bring the levels of those neurotransmitters back into balance.
Your doctor or nurse will ask about your symptoms and your medical history. There is no lab test for fibromyalgia. Instead, your doctor will make a diagnosis based upon two criteria:
You may have to see several doctors before getting a diagnosis. One reason for this may be that pain and fatigue, the main symptoms of fibromyalgia, also are symptoms of many other conditions, such as myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus. Doctors try to figure out if fibromyalgia or another health problem is causing your symptoms.
Treatment for fibromyalgia may include:
Your doctor or nurse may also suggest taking steps at home to relieve your symptoms.
You can take the following steps at home to help relieve your symptoms:
Maybe. 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.
Taking steps to treat fibromyalgia can help relieve your symptoms.
Many women with fibromyalgia have no problems getting pregnant, and some women report that their symptoms get better during pregnancy.
But, for some women, fibromyalgia can cause problems during pregnancy. Your symptoms may flare or get worse, especially in the first few months of pregnancy. Also, some normal pregnancy complaints, such as fatigue, stress, and mood swings caused by changing hormones, may be worse for women with fibromyalgia.
Talk to your doctor about any medicines you take to treat fibromyalgia, as they may cause other health problems for you or your unborn baby.
Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and fibromyalgia are similar in many ways. A person can have fibromyalgia and ME/CFS. Both ME/CFS and fibromyalgia have pain and fatigue as symptoms.
But the main symptom of fibromyalgia is pain, and the main symptom of ME/CFS is extreme tiredness that does not get better with sleep and rest, also called fatigue.
Usually. Most people with fibromyalgia continue to work, but you may have to make changes to do so. You can cut down the number of hours you work, switch to a less demanding job, or adapt a current job. If you face challenges at work, an occupational therapist can help you design a more comfortable workstation or find more efficient and less painful ways to do your job. A number of federal laws protect your rights.
However, if you cannot work because of your fibromyalgia, you may qualify for disability benefits through your employer or the Social Security Administration.
For more information about fibromyalgia, call the OWH Helpline at 800-994-9662 or contact the following organizations:
Fibromyalgia (PDF, 100 KB)
Enter a city, ZIP code (such as 20002), address, state, or place
To receive Publications email updates
The Office on Women's Health is grateful for the medical review in 2016 by:
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) staff
Daniel Clauw, M.D., Director of the Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center, Professor of Anesthesiology, Medicine (Rheumatology), and Psychiatry at the University of Michigan
All material contained on these pages are free of copyright restrictions and may be copied, reproduced, or duplicated without permission of the Office on Women’s Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Citation of the source is appreciated.
Page last updated: April 01, 2019.
[tooltiptop title="(fye-bro-mye-AL-ja)"]Fibromyalgia[/tooltiptop], or fibromyalgia syndrome, is a condition that causes aches and pain all over the body. People with fibromyalgia often experience other symptoms, such as extreme tiredness or sleeping, mood, or memory problems. Fibromyalgia affects more women than men. The pain, extreme tiredness, and lack of sleep that fibromyalgia causes can affect your ability to work or do daily activities. Treatment can help relieve pain and help prevent flare-ups of symptoms.
Fibromyalgia is also called fibromyalgia syndrome. A syndrome is a group of symptoms that happen together. People with fibromyalgia experience aches and pain all over the body, fatigue (extreme tiredness that does not get better with sleep or rest), and problems sleeping.
Fibromyalgia may be caused by a problem in the brain with nerves and pain signals. In other words, in people with fibromyalgia, the brain misunderstands everyday pain and other sensory experiences, making the person more sensitive to pressure, temperature (hot or cold), bright lights, and noise compared to people who do not have fibromyalgia.
Fibromyalgia has been compared to arthritis. Like arthritis, fibromyalgia causes pain and fatigue. But, unlike arthritis, fibromyalgia does not cause redness and swelling, or damage to your joints.
Fibromyalgia affects as many as 4 million Americans 18 and older.1 The average age range at which fibromyalgia is diagnosed is 35 to 45 years old, but most people have had symptoms, including chronic pain, that started much earlier in life.
Fibromyalgia is more common in women than in men.1,2
Maybe. Fibromyalgia is more common in people who:1
Chronic (long-term), widespread pain is the most common symptom of fibromyalgia. You may feel the pain all over your body. Or, you may feel it more in the muscles you use most often, like in your back or legs. The pain may feel like a deep muscle ache, or it may throb or burn. Your pain may also be worse in the morning.
Other symptoms of fibromyalgia include:3,4,5
Women with fibromyalgia often have more morning fatigue, pain all over the body, and IBS symptoms than men with fibromyalgia have.8
Fibromyalgia symptoms can happen without warning. But certain events may trigger flare-ups, including:
Researchers are not sure exactly what causes fibromyalgia. Genetics may play a role.
Studies also show that the brains of people with fibromyalgia may not process pain in the same way as people who do not have fibromyalgia. Lower levels of certain brain neurotransmitters, such as serotonin or norepinephrine, may cause you to be more sensitive to pain and have a more severe reaction to pain. Imaging studies of the brain show that people with fibromyalgia feel pain when people without fibromyalgia do not.10 Some medicines prescribed to treat fibromyalgia try to bring the levels of those neurotransmitters back into balance.
Your doctor or nurse will ask about your symptoms and your medical history. There is no lab test for fibromyalgia. Instead, your doctor will make a diagnosis based upon two criteria:
You may have to see several doctors before getting a diagnosis. One reason for this may be that pain and fatigue, the main symptoms of fibromyalgia, also are symptoms of many other conditions, such as myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus. Doctors try to figure out if fibromyalgia or another health problem is causing your symptoms.
Treatment for fibromyalgia may include:
Your doctor or nurse may also suggest taking steps at home to relieve your symptoms.
You can take the following steps at home to help relieve your symptoms:
Maybe. 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.
Taking steps to treat fibromyalgia can help relieve your symptoms.
Many women with fibromyalgia have no problems getting pregnant, and some women report that their symptoms get better during pregnancy.
But, for some women, fibromyalgia can cause problems during pregnancy. Your symptoms may flare or get worse, especially in the first few months of pregnancy. Also, some normal pregnancy complaints, such as fatigue, stress, and mood swings caused by changing hormones, may be worse for women with fibromyalgia.
Talk to your doctor about any medicines you take to treat fibromyalgia, as they may cause other health problems for you or your unborn baby.
Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and fibromyalgia are similar in many ways. A person can have fibromyalgia and ME/CFS. Both ME/CFS and fibromyalgia have pain and fatigue as symptoms.
But the main symptom of fibromyalgia is pain, and the main symptom of ME/CFS is extreme tiredness that does not get better with sleep and rest, also called fatigue.
Usually. Most people with fibromyalgia continue to work, but you may have to make changes to do so. You can cut down the number of hours you work, switch to a less demanding job, or adapt a current job. If you face challenges at work, an occupational therapist can help you design a more comfortable workstation or find more efficient and less painful ways to do your job. A number of federal laws protect your rights.
However, if you cannot work because of your fibromyalgia, you may qualify for disability benefits through your employer or the Social Security Administration.
For more information about fibromyalgia, call the OWH Helpline at 800-994-9662 or contact the following organizations:
This content is provided by the Office on Women's Health.
A federal government website managed by the Office on Women's Health in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20201
1-800-994-9662 • Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET (closed on federal holidays).