Fibromyalgia Is Real

Bob Carroll

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The pain of fibromyalgia is real, and doctors need to take patients' complaints seriously, concludes a review paper by University of Michigan Health System doctors.

Evidence Shows Fibromyalgia Pain Is Real: Experts

"It is time for us to move past the rhetoric about whether these conditions are real, and take these patients seriously as we endeavor to learn more about the causes and most effective treatments for these disorders," Richard E. Harris, research investigator in the division of rheumatology, department of internal medicine at the U-M Medical School and a researcher at the U-M Health System's Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center, said in a prepared statement.

Fibromyalgia is a debilitating pain syndrome that affects 2 percent to 4 percent of the population. However, the condition is often mistakenly diagnosed as arthritis or even a psychological issue, and many patients face questions about whether their condition is real, according to background information.

The paper appears in the December issue of Current Pain and Headache Reports.

My Florida clients who have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia will be relieved to know the emphasis will now be about its causes and treatments instead of its validity as a medical condition or diagnosis.