More often than not, FMS is associated with other disorders in the same patient, such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.
Although the exact number of the U.S. population who suffer from FMS is not known, it is estimated to affect between four and six million people (NFP). FMS primarily affects women between the ages of 25 and 55, although it can be seen in men and children. Researchers are striving to determine if there is a genetic link since the disease is often seen in more than one member of the same family. Unfortunately, women are not always taken seriously when they complain of pain; their complaints of chronic pain are often dismissed as hysteria or imagined. On average, a person with FMS goes at least four to five years without a proper diagnosis (WebMD). .
Diagnosis is difficult for physicians without a specific laboratory test and FMS cannot be revealed by x-rays or ultrasounds. The diagnosis is generally made with an accurate patient history and by ruling out other diseases or conditions. According to the National Fibromyalgia Partnership, it was not until 1990 that the American College of Rheumatology established the criteria of FMS for physicians. The criteria include a history of widespread pain for at least three years in all four quadrants of the body, above and below the waist. In addition, axial skeletal pain must be present in the cervical spine, anterior chest, thoracic spine, or lower back. There are 18 tender points that are checked for pain by applying a certain amount of pressure, 11 of them must be indicative of pain (NFP). .
The most common symptoms associated with FMS are fatigue and depression. The fatigue results from restless sleep at night due to muscular aches and pains, as well as research indicating that patients with FMS do not reach the delta-level sleep of the average person. This has been indicated in the sleep patterns of FMS patients by studies conducted in sleep laboratories (Starlanyl 9).
