Fibromyalgia
What is fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia, also called fibrositis, is a chronic, widespread pain in muscles and soft tissues surrounding the joints throughout the body, accompanied by fatigue. The disease is fairly common, affecting approximately 2 percent to 4 percent of the population, mostly females.
Although its symptoms are similar to other joint diseases, such as arthritis, fibromyalgia is actually a form of soft tissue or muscular rheumatism that causes pain in the muscles and soft tissues. Fibromyalgia is more prevalent in women of childbearing age.
Fibromyalgia is one of several pain syndromes included in the classification of musculo-skeletal pain syndrome (MSPS), or pain amplification syndrome.