Living With Fibromyalgia

William F.C. Rigby, M.D. and Kathleen Burge, Medical Writer
Fibromyalgia is a mysterious condition that affects as much as 5 percent of the population, mostly women. It causes widespread pain and deep fatigue. Only about half of the people who have fibromyalgia seek medical attention, between 3 million and 6 million Americans according to estimates. Since the condition has no biological marker -- there is no test for fibromyalgia, nor can doctors actually see signs of the illness -- it is considered a syndrome rather than a disease. For that reason, it is sometimes called fibromyalgia syndrome, or FMS.

Little is known about the causes of fibromyalgia. There is no cure. However, those who have the syndrome can manage their fibromyalgia more successfully if they educate themselves about the condition and work with their doctors to reduce symptoms. Fibromyalgia was officially recognized as a syndrome just over a decade ago, yet there is considerable research on its possible causes and effects. In 1998, the National Institutes for Health funded 15 new fibromyalgia research projects.

William F.C. Rigby, M.D.
Professor of Medicine and Microbiology
Dartmouth Medical School

Kathleen Burge
Medical Writer