About this episode
Episode 216: Fibromyalgia Overview
Reitta Wyllie and Tejasvi Ayaggari (medical students) discuss with Dr. Arreaza the presentation, diagnosis and management of fibromyalgia, a commonly unrecognized disease that may impact patient’s quality of life if left untreated.
Written by Reitta Nash, MSIV, American University of the Caribbean. Additional commentary provided by Dr. Tejasvi Ayyagari. Edits and comments by Hector Arreaza, MD.
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Introduction
Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain condition that affects millions of people worldwide, yet it remains one of the most misunderstood disorders in medicine. Patients often experience widespread pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances, cognitive difficulties, and a host of other symptoms that significantly impact daily functioning and quality of life.
TJ: It’s common, but I feel it is mostly misunderstood and sometimes goes undiagnosed.
Reitta: Yes, despite its prevalence, fibromyalgia has historically been met with skepticism, delayed diagnosis, and stigma. Today, we’ll break down what fibromyalgia is, what we know about its underlying mechanisms, how it’s diagnosed, and how it’s managed using evidence-based approaches.
What is fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain, accompanied by symptoms such as fatigue, non-restorative sleep, cognitive dysfunction often referred to as “fibro/brain fog,” and mood disturbances.
TJ: Unlike inflammatory or autoimmune diseases, fibromyalgia does not cause structural damage to joints or muscles, nor does it produce objective findings on imaging or routine laboratory testing. Instead, it is considered a centralized pain disorder, meaning pain processing within the central nervous system is altered.
Arreaza: Many years ago, I had a patient who had fibromyalgia in Germany. He shared how hard it was for him to get diagnosed and treated because many countries fail to recognize fibromyalgia as a disease. However, Germany is not one of them. The German Association of the Medical Scientific Societies (AWMF) has established specific diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). Also, the World Health Organization recognizes fibromyalgia as a chronic condition, and it is included in the International Classification of Diseases 10th edition (ICD-10).
Reitta: The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) recognizes fibromyalgia as a distinct clinical diagnosis, affecting approximately 2–4% of the popula
