HealthInfo Waitaha Canterbury
Overview of fibromyalgia
Mō te mate tārūrū
Fibromyalgia is a condition that causes tiredness and widespread muscle pain.
We do not know what causes fibromyalgia. But it is not due to damage in the painful parts of your body. Rather, pain signals are sent to your brain despite there being no tissue damage. This is a bit like a fire alarm going off when there is no fire.
Fibromyalgia can have a big impact on your quality of life and can affect you long term. The good news is that it is not life-threatening. There are many treatments that can reduce your pain and help you get on with life.
Symptoms of fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia can have many symptoms. They can vary with time and be different for everyone. The main symptom is usually chronic (persistent) widespread pain in your muscles. You may also have particular tender spots known as trigger points.
Another common symptom is fatigue. This can vary from mild to severely affecting your ability to function. Other symptoms include poor sleep and problems concentrating and remembering things. Also, headaches and irritable bowel syndrome.
Depression and anxiety can also be part of fibromyalgia.
Diagnosing fibromyalgia
Your general practice team will ask you about your pain and symptoms. This will include how long you have had them, where you have them and if you have noticed any patterns. They will ask you where you are feeling pain and how strong it is.
Your doctor may ask how you are feeling and if you have any issues with your mental health. This is because depression and anxiety are more common in people with fibromyalgia.
There are no specific tests to confirm fibromyalgia. Your general practice team may send you for a blood test. This is to rule out other health conditions that could explain your symptoms.
Treating fibromyalgia
The main treatment for fibromyalgia is learning ways to manage your symptoms. These include physical activity, behavioural therapy, relaxation techniques and pacing yourself.
- Medication. Most pain relief medications are not useful in fibromyalgia. But some people find that pain-modifying medications provide relief. For example, amitriptyline, nortriptyline, gabapentin and pregabalin.
- Psychological therapies such as cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT). These can help you cope with living with your symptoms. They can also help if you have depression or anxiety. A psychologist can provide this type of treatment.
- Physical activity programme. A physiotherapist can help design an physical activity plan that best suits you.
- Activity plan. An occupational therapist can help your plan your daily activities to reduce the impact of your fibromyalgia.
HealthInfo recommends the following pages
- Arthritis New Zealand – Fibromyalgia
More detailed information about fibromyalgia.
- NHS (UK) – Fibromyalgia
Detailed information about fibromyalgia.
On the next page: Self-care with fibromyalgia
Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed July 2024.
SourcesReview key: HIFIA-25336
