New Insights in Fibromyalgia: A Review

OBJECTIVE

Most people want to know and understand what happens in the body, in the soft tissue, and bones when having musculo-skeletal pain or when something goes wrong with function such as decreased strength, stiffness, motion, coordination, or muscle endurance. Thus, we want to know the reason why the body does not work the way it should. This is natural and for physicians it is necessary to understand the mechanisms in order to give a correct diagnosis and proper treatment. When background causes and pathophysiology are known in detail, patients understand that chances to find a good and effective treatment improve. Furthermore, patients tend to trust knowledgeable doctors. This is true also for fibromyalgia, which is a diagnosis of a disorder that is not accepted all over the world. Therefore, fibromyalgia patients often meet with two problems; that is, doctors who are not well informed regarding fibromyalgia and also doctors that do not recognize this disorder as a legitimate medical condition. Fortunately for fibromyalgia patients, the attention to fibromyalgia in most western countries is steadily increasing. In the rheumatology international congresses and journals, the interest and activity in this pain area is high and there are many research presentations and publications coming every year within the field.

ABSTRACT

When Mrs. Blomberg, a 52-year-old fibromyalgia patient, meets her health care providers such as a physician, nurse, or physiotherapist, she asks many questions: What kind of a disease is this? What is the cause and is it common? What can be done regarding treatment and what is the prognosis?

The present review article summarizes up-to-date evidence-based facts in order to provide answers to these questions and to have a good scientific basis when discussing fibromyalgia with the patient as well as with health care colleagues, researchers, and others.

Keywords

central sensitivity, chronic widespread pain, fibromyalgia, pain mechanisms, pain thresholds, pain treatment, review article