Fibromyalgia Overview

Fibromyalgia (also known a fibrositis or fybromyositis) is a syndrome that has become increasingly rampant in the twenty-first century.  It has only been recognized as a real medical disorder since 1980.  An estimated four to eight million Americans have fibromyalgia, ninety percent of those being women. It’s name, fibromyalgia, can be broken into three parts to help understand the disorder:

 

·        “fibro” meaning fibrous tissue such as tendons and ligaments

·        “my” which means muscle

·        “algia” a term referring to pain

 

More succinctly, fibromyalgia is a syndrome characterized by chronic pain in the muscles of soft tissues, surrounding joints, fatigue, and tenderness at specific sites in the body.