Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist
The pain of fibromyalgia is very real for many people, even though most experts do not understand the condition well.
Approximately 2-4% of the population has fibro myalgia, a debilitating pain condition. Doctors often misdiagnose it as arthritis or even depression. Patients' suffering is only increased by the lack of understanding of fibromyalgia.
Doctors at the University of Michigan have taken an important step forward, (finally) stating that the pain of fibromyalgia is real. "Those with fibromyalgia have a low pain threshold, they say, and genetic factors are also involved. Brain imaging has shown some striking differences between patients with and without fibromyalgia. Put simply, those with fibromyalgia have certain abnormalities in the structure of their brains which affects how they process pain signals. The researchers have also found variations in a specific gene that seem to be linked to fibromyalgia and temporomandibular joint disorder, a condition which is related to fibromyalgia. They hope that these findings will lead to fibromyalgia being taken more seriously."
Source
Current Pain and Headache Reports December 2006 pages 403-407
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I'm having a surgery done next week for endometriosis and will like to know if that will affect my fibromyalgia? I'm experiencing so much pain right now is not funny. I don't know what else to do. I've been to so many doc for the same thing and they all tell me th same there's still no cure.