OWL: OCOSH Classification/Muscular Diseases/Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia eMedicine PMR

Regina P Gilliland, MD — 2008-04-15 09:30:13 GMT

Fibromyalgia is a complex disorder defined only recently, but it is not recently discovered. Descriptions have been found in the medical literature as far back as the early 17th century. Many physicians prefer not to deal with patients who have this complicated disorder and question its existence. In the past, poor recognition and lack of treatment for fibromyalgia could be explained by a lack of meaningful research. Today, abundant research and medical evidence supports the diagnosis of fibromyalgia.
Synonyms and related keywords: fibromyalgia, fibromyositis, fibrositis, idiopathic myalgia, interstitial myofibrositis, muscular hardening, muscular rheumatism, musculorheumatism, myofibrositis, myogelosis, myositism, nodular rheumatism, nonarticular rheumatism, polymyalgia rheumatica, rheumatic muscle callus, rheumatic muscle hardening, rheumatic myalgia, rheumatic pain modulation disorder, tension myalgia
Regina P Gilliland, MD 2007

Fibromyalgia Is Not a Rheumatologic Disease Anymore Medscape

George T. Griffing, MD — 2008-04-07 09:30:13 GMT

In 1990, The American College of Rheumatology established diagnostic criteria based on the scoring of 18 potential tender points.[2] It turns out, however, that these tender points have nothing to do with fibromyalgia. Biopsy of the tender points shows no pathologic changes, and numerous studies have not shown any abnormalities in the musculoskeletal tissues that are painful. Current evidence points to a neurologic disorder of central pain processing.[3] Fibromyalgia patients experience pain differently and have lower pain thresholds compared to normals. Research has demonstrated that various pain-related processes in the brain and spinal cord are abnormal in fibromyalgia.[4] But more work remains to be done.

Fibromyalgia Patient Education Centre

Not Available — 2007-05-14 09:30:13 GMT

Medscape Patient Education Resources