Health Topic

Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia (FMS) is a chronic or long-term condition characterized by pain and tenderness all over the body. Learn about symptoms and treatment.

Reviewed Reviewed by a registered pharmacistGeneral information

Also called: FMS · Fibro

Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.

About Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is chronic (long-lasting) condition that causes pain all over the body, fatigue, and other symptoms. There is no cure, but treatments can help with the symptoms.

The exact cause of fibromyalgia is unknown. Studies of the brains of people with fibromyalgia found that they seem to process pain differently than people who don't have it. They may feel pain when others do not, and they may also have a more severe reaction to pain.

Fibromyalgia can run in families, so genetics may also play a role. Other factors may also be involved, such as having certain diseases that cause pain.

Anyone can get fibromyalgia, but it is more common in:

  • Women; they are twice as likely to have fibromyalgia
  • Middle-aged people; your chance of having it increases as you get older
  • People with certain diseases, such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis or ankylosing spondylitis
  • People who have a family member with fibromyalgia

The main symptoms of fibromyalgia are:

  • Chronic (long-lasting) pain and stiffness all over the body. People often describe it as aching, burning, or throbbing.
  • Fatigue and tiredness.
  • Trouble sleeping.

Other symptoms may include:

  • Problems with thinking, memory, and concentration (sometimes called "fibro fog")
  • Muscle and joint stiffness
  • Numbness or tingling in the arms and legs
  • Sensitivity to light, noise, odors, and temperature

People who have fibromyalgia are also more likely to have certain diseases, including:

  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Headaches, including migraines
  • Irritable bowel syndrome
  • Pain in the face or jaw, including disorders of the jaw know as temporomandibular joint syndrome (TMJ)

Fibromyalgia can be hard to diagnose. It sometimes takes visits to several different health care providers to get a diagnosis. One problem is that there isn't a specific test for it. And the main symptoms, pain and fatigue, are common in many other conditions. Providers have to rule out other causes of the symptoms before making a diagnosis of fibromyalgia. This is called making a differential diagnosis.

To find out if you have fibromyalgia, your provider:

  • Will take your medical history, including asking detailed questions about your symptoms
  • Will do a physical exam
  • May order x-rays and blood tests to rule out other conditions

Not all providers are familiar with fibromyalgia and its treatment. You should see a provider or team of providers who specialize in the treatment of fibromyalgia.

There is no cure for fibromyalgia, so treatment focuses on relieving the symptoms. Providers usually use a combination of treatments, including medicines, lifestyle changes, talk therapy, and complementary therapies:

  • Medicines
  • Certain antidepressants and anti-seizure medicines, which may help with pain or sleep problems.
  • Pain relievers.
  • Getting enough sleep.
  • Getting regular physical activity. If you have not already been active, start slowly and gradually increase how much activity you get. You may want to see a physical therapist, who can help you create a plan that is right for you.
  • Learning how to manage stress.
  • Learning to pace yourself. If you do too much, it can make your symptoms worse. So you need to learn to balance being active with your need for rest.
  • Mindfulness meditation.
  • Biofeedback, which uses electronic devices to measure body functions such as breathing and heart rate. This teaches you to be more aware of your body functions so you can learn to control them.
  • Movement therapies such as yoga and tai chi.
  • Massage therapy.
  • Acupuncture.

It sits within Bones, Joints and Muscles.

The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.

When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.

Research on Fibromyalgia

1,459 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.

What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.

Research currently under way

Research already completed

Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.

Where to read more

Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.

Start Here

  • FibromyalgiaAmerican Academy of Family Physicians
  • FibromyalgiaNational Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
  • FibromyalgiaDepartment of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health

Treatments and Therapies

Genetics

Clinical Trials

Medical subject headings

Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Fibromyalgia. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.

This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Fibromyalgia, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.