Fibromyalgia affects about 2% of the adult population, which is approximately 4 million adults in the United States. Although fibromyalgia is more likely to be diagnosed in adults aged 40 and older, fibromyalgia can affect anyone, including children.
Fibromyalgia is a disorder that causes widespread musculoskeletal pain. Compared to patients without fibromyalgia, it is thought that patients with fibromyalgia may be more sensitive to pain. Research suggests that fibromyalgia amplifies the feeling of pain by affecting the way the brain and spinal cord process pain signals, referred to as “abnormal pain processing.”
Besides pain throughout the body, patients with fibromyalgia may also have stiffness, fatigue, depression, anxiety, sleep problems, difficulties with memory and concentration, headaches, temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ), and digestive symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, cramping, and irritable bowel syndrome. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis or lupus are more likely to develop fibromyalgia, and women (people assigned female at birth) are twice as likely to have fibromyalgia than men (people assigned male at birth).
There is no specific test to diagnose fibromyalgia. Still, a healthcare provider can diagnose fibromyalgia with the patient’s history, physical examination, and possibly diagnostic tests and blood work to rule out other causes of the patient’s symptoms.
Fibromyalgia can often be a misunderstood condition.
Fibromyalgia symptoms can fluctuate and “flare-up” due to triggers which may include stress, infection, changes in daily routine, changes in diet, hormonal changes, lack of sleep, weather changes, medication changes, and other health conditions. Since experts do not know what causes fibromyalgia and since there is no single treatment or cure for fibromyalgia, this can lead to frustration for the patient. However, there is hope. Patients need to understand that fibromyalgia can be managed to achieve a good quality of life.
For many patients, a multifaceted approach may be needed to manage fibromyalgia optimally. In addition to treatment options that may include exercise, sleep therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, stress management therapy, and medications, patients may consider acupuncture therapy and/or cupping.
The article below concluded that functional improvements in fibromyalgia were seen with acupuncture.
Although more research is needed to clarify the efficacy, cupping may also be a treatment option for certain patients with fibromyalgia, as suggested in the following abstract.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37949569/
Fibromyalgia is a complex pain syndrome in which one exacerbated symptom could worsen other fibromyalgia symptoms, causing the patient to enter a vicious cycle. Therefore, patients with fibromyalgia need to understand all treatment options available to manage each symptom to gain control of the pain and improve their quality of life. Talk with your healthcare provider to discuss a comprehensive treatment plan that is tailored for you and your symptoms.