Fibromyalgia
Key points
- Fibromyalgia may cause chronic back pain and is believed to be a result of inflammation of the body's connective tissue.
- Fibromyalgia is more common than most people realize.
- Low back pain resulting from a diagnosis of fibromyalgia is real, but can also be subjective.
- The condition is characterized by widespread muscle pain, fatigue, and multiple tender points on the body.
Fibromyalgia may cause chronic back pain and is believed to be a result of inflammation of the body's connective tissue. The condition is characterized by widespread muscle pain, fatigue, and multiple tender points on the body.
Fibromyalgia is more common than most people realize. In many sufferers, pain is present most of the time and may last for years. The severity of the pain goes up and down, and the location of the back pain as well as the generalized pain can vary.
Low back pain resulting from a diagnosis of fibromyalgia is real, but can also be subjective. Many people with this condition find that emotional stress makes the pain worse. Fatigue is also a common aspect of this condition. Chronic pain, along with anxiety about the problem and how to get well, can be fatiguing by itself. In addition, the inflammatory process within the body produces chemicals that are known to cause fatigue.
Written and revised by
Gerald Hurowitz, M.D.
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