Fibromyalgia is the most common arthritis-related illness after osteoarthritis. Still, it is often misdiagnosed and misunderstood. Fibromyalgia is a rheumatic condition. Its characteristics include widespread muscle and joint pain and fatigue as well as other symptoms. Fibromyalgia can lead to depression and social isolation. More than 12 million Americans have fibromyalgia. Most of them are women ranging in age from 25 to 60. Women are 10 times more likely to get this disease than men.

What Are Fibromyalgia Symptoms?
Fibromyalgia causes you to ache all over. You may have symptoms of crippling fatigue -- even on arising. Specific tender points on the body may be painful to touch. You may experience swelling, disturbances in deep-level or restful sleep, and mood disturbances or depression.

Your muscles may feel like they have been overworked or pulled. They'll feel that way even without exercise or another cause. Sometimes, your muscles twitch, burn, or have deep stabbing pain.

Some patients with fibromyalgia have pain and achiness around the joints in the neck, shoulder, back, and hips. This makes it difficult for them to sleep or exercise. Other fibromyalgia symptoms include:

* abdominal pain
* anxiety and depression
* chronic headaches
* difficulty maintaining sleep or light sleep
* dryness in mouth, nose, and eyes
* fatigue upon arising
* hypersensitivity to cold and/or heat * inability to concentrate (called "fibro fog")
* incontinence
* irritable bowel syndrome
* numbness or tingling in the fingers and feet
* painful menstrual cramps
* stiffness

Fibromyalgia can cause signs and feelings similar to osteoarthritis, bursitis, and tendinitis. Some experts include it in this group of arthritis and related disorders. But the pain of bursitis or tendinitis is localized to a specific area. The feelings of pain and stiffness with fibromyalgia are widespread.

What Tests Are Used to Diagnose Fibromyalgia?
There are no specific laboratory tests to diagnose fibromyalgia. To make an accurate diagnosis, your doctor will rely on a comprehensive physical exam and your medical history. Fibromyalgia is mostly a diagnosis of exclusion. That means the doctor will rule out other conditions that could cause similar symptoms.

What Is the Standard Treatment for Fibromyalgia?
There is no fibromyalgia cure. And there is no treatment that will address all of the fibromyalgia symptoms. Instead, a wide array of traditional and alternative treatments has been shown to be effective in treating this difficult syndrome. A treatment program may include a combination of medications, exercises -- both strengthening and aerobic conditioning -- and behavioral techniques.

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