Fibromyalgia: finding the silver lining around a common chronic pain disorder

Fibromyalgia is a chronic noninflammatory musculoskeletal condition defined by widespread pain and commonly accompanied by fatigue, sleep disturbance and physical and psychological distress.¹ Patients with fibromyalgia often report cognitive clouding or ‘fibrofog’ (a triad of poor concentration, impaired short-term memory and inability to multitask), which can be more debilitating than the pain.² Fibromyalgia is often associated with other pain disorders, including chronic headache, chronic fatigue syndrome, functional bowel or bladder syndromes and other regional pain syndromes (e.g. temporomandibular, neck, back and pelvic pain).³

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