Skip to main content
Logo for WebMD
Logo for WebMD
  • Coronavirus Update
  • Check Your Symptoms
  • Find A Doctor
  • Find A Dentist
  • Connect to Care
  • Find Lowest Drug Prices
  • Health
    A-Z
    Health A-Z
    Health A-Z
    Common Conditions
    • ADD/ADHD
    • Allergies
    • Arthritis
    • Cancer
    • Coronavirus (COVID-19)
    • Depression
    • Diabetes
    • Eye Health
    • Heart Disease
    • Lung Disease
    • Orthopedics
    • Pain Management
    • Sexual Conditions
    • Skin Problems
    • Sleep Disorders
    • View All
    Resources
    • Symptom Checker
    • WebMD Blogs
    • Podcasts
    • Newsletters
    • Questions & Answers
    • Insurance Guide
    • Find a Doctor
    • Children's Conditions A-Z
    • Surgeries and Procedures A-Z
    • Featured Topics
    • woman experiencing chest discomfort Symptom Checker COVID-19: Check Your Symptoms Now
    • photo of migraine Slideshow Get Help for Migraine Relief
  • Drugs &
    Supplements
    Drugs & Supplements
    Drugs & Supplements
    Find & Review
    • Drugs
    • Supplements
    Drug Basics & Safety
    • Commonly Abused Drugs
    • Taking Meds When Pregnant
    Tools
    • Manage Your Medications
    • Pill Identifier
    • Check for Interactions
    • Drug Comparison Tool
    • Featured Topics
    • assorted vitamins Slideshow Vitamins You Need as You Age
    • berry and yogurt on spoon Slideshow Supplements for Better Digestion
  • Living
    Healthy
    Living Healthy
    Living Healthy
    Diet, Food & Fitness
    • Diet & Weight Management
    • Weight Loss & Obesity
    • Food & Recipes
    • Fitness & Exercise
    Beauty & Balance
    • Healthy Beauty
    • Health & Balance
    • Sex & Relationships
    • Oral Care
    Living Well
    • Women's Health
    • Men's Health
    • Aging Well
    • Healthy Sleep
    • Healthy Teens
    • Featured Topics
    • grocery cart Article Smart Grocery Shopping When You Have Diabetes
    • walking sneakers Quiz Do You Know the Benefits of Walking?
  • Family &
    Pregnancy
    Family & Pregnancy
    Family & Pregnancy
    All About Pregnancy
    • Getting Pregnant
    • First Trimester
    • Second Trimester
    • Third Trimester
    • View All
    Parenting Guide
    • Newborn & Baby
    • Children's Health
    • Children's Vaccines
    • Raising Fit Kids
    • View All
    Pet Care Essentials
    • Healthy Cats
    • Healthy Dogs
    • View All
    • Featured Topics
    • apple slices and peanut butter Slideshow Smart Snacks When You're Pregnant
    • photo of dogs kissing Slideshow Surprising Things You Didn't Know About Dogs and Cats
  • News &
    Experts
    News & Experts
    News & Experts
    Health News
    • Coronavirus News & Updates
    • COVID-19 Vaccines -- Latest Updates Here
    • COVID-19: Check Your Symptoms Now
    • Coronavirus in Context: Interviews With Experts
    • Social Distancing, Quarantine Explained
    Experts & Community
    • WebMD Blogs
    • News Center
    • Featured Topics
    • photo of coronavirus cell WebMD News Get the Latest COVID-19 News Here
    • photo of person typing Newsletters Sign Up to Receive Our Free Coroanvirus Newsletter
  • Mobile Apps
  • Subscriptions
  • Sign In
  • Subscribe
  • My Profile
    • My Tools
    • My WebMD Pages
    • My Account
    • Sign Out

    Pain Topics

    • Abdominal Pain
    • Arthritis
    • Back Pain
    • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
    • Fibromyalgia
    • Hip Pain
    • Knee Pain
    • Foot Pain
    • Lupus
    • Migraine
    • Nerve Pain
    • Osteoarthritis
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis

    Pain Management Guide

    • Types of Pain
    • Symptoms & Causes
    • Diagnosis & Tests
    • Treatment & Care
    • Living & Managing
    • Support & Resources

    More Pain Resources

    • News
    • Reference
    • Slideshows
    • Quizzes
    • Videos
    • Questions & Answers
    • Find a Neurologist
    • Find an Orthopaedist
    • Medications
    • Pill Identifier
    • Check for Drug Interactions
    • Drug Comparison Tool
    • Pain Management
    • Videos

    Build Your Migraine Response Kit

    What is Fibromyalgia?

    Video Transcript

    Narrator: On any given day in America, about 5 million adults may be suffering with a crippling type of pain according to the Centers for Disease Control.

    Bill Miller: I came down with what I thought was the flu and I just never got over it

    Susan Miller: I would say for me that the fatigue is the worst part.

    Narrator: They're talking about Fibromyalgia, a chronic condition characterized by a range of symptoms like muscle tenderness and pain. The disease is 6 times more common in women, yet men can also be afflicted, as was evident at this support group meeting.

    Kevin McLeod: I literally was beyond fatigue.

    Narrator: Several in this group say stress played a major role in bringing the disease on.

    Thomas Hurd, MD, FIPP: Fibromyalgia is really a triad of too much pain, or all-over pain, a sleep disorder, and fatigue during the day.

    Narrator: Still diagnosis and treatment can be tricky.

    W. Hayes Wilson, MD: The symptoms of fibromyalgia can go with a lot of different diseases. So we have to make sure that we're not dealing with a different disease than fibromyalgia. We want as precise a diagnosis as we can have.

    Narrator: Once other known diseases are excluded, doctors can check for 18 specific tender points as defined by the American College of Rheumatology. If at least 11 of those 18 prove painful on touch, a patient can be classified as having Fibromyalgia.

    Claudia Wendlendt: It can be real scary at that point for someone who's been extremely healthy.

    Narrator: And the repercussions can be emotional as well as physical.

    Victoria Francola: My family fell apart. Sorry... I actually lost my husband...

    W. Hayes Wilson, MD: Most of the patients aren't clinically depressed, but almost all of them feel bad about feeling bad all the time. If you look at the chemistry of their brain, they tend to be low in a substance called serotonin.

    Narrator: In fact, many fibromyalgia patients take antidepressants that supplement serotonin, a hormone linked to stabilizing mood. Sometimes a more conservative psychological approach like Cognitive Behavior Therapy can also be useful.

    : Arms over your head...

    Narrator: Physical therapy is frequently prescribed as a means of keeping debilitating pain and stiffness in check. These movements and stretches can also aid circulation and many patients claim an improvement in cognitive function as well.

    : Oh that hurts.

    Narrator: Though it's often at odds with a patient's pain, experts encourage as much movement as can be tolerated.

    W. Hayes Wilson, MD: So sometimes what we have to do is we have to try and give them some medical adjuncts to help them get started.

    Narrator: Still many non-medicinal approaches may be effective, such as acupuncture, any type of gentle exercise, such as water therapy, and a technique called biofeedback, where patients normally under the guidance of a trained specialist, learn to become more aware of their body's own signals so that they might employ counter-measures to help them deal with their pain.

    W. Hayes Wilson, MD: If we take care of pain very frequently a lot of other things get better.

    Narrator: For WebMD, I'm Damon Meharg.

    Related Videos

    Editor's Picks

    • woman with cup of coffee

      Video

      The Truth About Coffee
    • tongue scraper and tongue

      Video

      5 Ways to Beat Bad Breath
    • couple having sex in bed

      Video

      Why Orgasms Feel Good

    Latest Videos

    Top Picks

    • Muscle Spasms & Multiple Sclerosis
    • Manage Your Migraine
    • RA Pain Relief Tips
    • Treating and Preventing Migraines
    • When Pain Affects Your Relationship
    • Knee Arthritis: Treatment Advances

    Today on WebMD

    pain in brain and nerves

    Why You’re In Pain

    Top causes and how to find relief.

    knee exercise

    Get Moving

    8 exercises for less knee pain.

    acupuncture needles in back

    Acupuncture Guide

    How it helps arthritis, migraines, and dental pain.

    painkillers triptych

    Truth About Painkillers

    How much do you know about your meds?

    Recommended for You

    illustration of hand Slideshow

    3 Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

    lumbar spine Slideshow

    What's Causing Your Low Back Pain?

    prescription pad Article

    Antidepressants for Pain?

    eating a red chili Slideshow

    10 Foods That Fight Pain

    Acupunture Slideshow

    Alternative Treatments for Long-Term Pain

    bunion sling Slideshow

    Should You Use a Brace?

    woman icing knee Slideshow

    Tips for Common Aches and Pains

    ibuprofen tablets Video

    NSAIDs: What They Are & How They Work

    Tools & Resources

    • Chronic Pain Solutions
    • Personalized Tips for Managing Migraine
    • Video: How to Do Tennis Elbow Exercises
    • 14 Tips to Relieve Back Pain
    • Quiz: Everyday Aches and Pains
    • Video: 5 Natural Ways to Ease Back Pain

    Health Solutions

    • Penis Curved When Erect
    • Could I have CAD?
    • Treat Bent Fingers
    • Discover hATTR Symptoms
    • Discover Immunotherapy
    • Relapsing MS Options
    • Rethink MS Treatment
    • AFib-Related Strokes
    • Risk of a Future DVT/PE
    • Is My Penis Normal?
    • Weight-Loss Surgery
    • Liver Transplants Save Lives
    • Finance Plastic Surgery
    • Bent Finger Causes
    • Trouble Urinating?
    • Missing Teeth?

    More from WebMD

    • Finding the Care You Need for MS
    • How to Thrive With Narcolepsy
    • Relief for Blocked Hair Follicles
    • Psoriatic Arthritis and Your Sleep
    • What Psoriasis Feels Like
    • First Psoriatic Arthritis Flare
    • Talking to Your Doctor About RA
    • Common Psoriasis Triggers
    • Avoiding Crohn’s Flares
    • Living With Ankylosing Spondylitis
    • When RA Symptoms Get Worse
    • Types of B-Cell Therapy for MS
    • Living Better With T2 Diabetes
    • Why Prostate Cancer Spreads
    • When Ulcerative Colitis Flares
    • Where Breast Cancer Spreads
    • Logo for WebMD
      • Visit WebMD on Facebook
      • Visit WebMD on Twitter
      • Visit WebMD on Pinterest
    • Policies

      • Privacy Policy
      • Cookie Policy
      • Editorial Policy
      • Advertising Policy
      • Correction Policy
      • Terms of Use

      About

      • Contact Us
      • About WebMD
      • Careers
      • Newsletter
      • Corporate
      • WebMD Health Services
      • Site Map
      • Accessibility
    • WebMD Network

      • Medscape
      • Medscape Reference
      • MedicineNet
      • eMedicineHealth
      • RxList
      • OnHealth
      • WebMDRx
      • First Aid
      • WebMD Magazine
      • WebMD Health Record
      • Dictionary
      • Physician Directory
    • Our Apps

      • WebMD Mobile
      • WebMD App
      • Pregnancy
      • Baby
      • Allergy
      • Medscape

      For Advertisers

      • Advertise with Us
      • Advertising Policy

    © 2005 - 2019 WebMD LLC. All rights reserved.

    WebMD does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

    See additional information.