Victorian Government website (Victoria - the Place to Be)

Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia syndrome is a condition where pain occurs in muscles and surrounding structures without any obvious tissue damage. The pain is usually widespread and people often experience fatigue. Fibromyalgia affects mostly women, between the ages of 35 to 60 years, from all nationalities and culture groups. It can also affect children.

The symptoms of fibromyalgia can go up and down. Many people find the symptoms are at their worst first thing in the morning and last thing at night. The symptoms can be mild, moderate or severe. There may be extended periods of time - perhaps even years - when symptoms disappear. Other people have pain every day. Or there may be variations between these two extremes. It is thought that around three to five per cent of Australians suffer from fibromyalgia.

Symptoms - common
The symptoms of fibromyalgia can vary widely from mild, moderate to severe. The most common symptoms include any of the following:

  • Fatigue and exhaustion.
  • Pain - which may present in a variety of ways (such as aching, burning, throbbing or stabbing). The pain may be generalised or localised.
  • Sleep disturbance.
  • Headaches.
  • Stiffness, usually worse in the morning.
Symptoms - other
Some people with fibromyalgia may also have other symptoms, such as irritable bowel syndrome, cystitis, and swelling and numbness or tingling in the arms and legs. These symptoms tend to be worse first thing in the morning and last thing at night. The symptoms may be present every day, or recur in bouts lasting days, weeks or months, or any variation in between.

The body's pain system
Fibromyalgia seems to make the body's pain perception system oversensitive to pain. It can even become so overactive that the body interprets things as pain that would not normally cause pain. In effect, the central nervous system of the body changes its response pattern, so that even very small things are interpreted by the body as being painful. This is not something that a person has conscious control over. It is the result of internal body mechanisms that are not yet fully understood. Some of the suggested theories for this altered pain threshold include:
  • Prior physical trauma
  • Severe illness
  • Viral infection (although no associated virus has been identified)
  • Emotional stress
  • Abnormal changes in brain chemistry or in the central nervous system
  • Hereditary factors
  • Decreased blood flow.
Aggravating factors
Fibromyalgia may be aggravated by a number of factors, including:
  • Weather changes
  • Hard physical labour
  • Mental stress
  • Other musculoskeletal disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis.
Diagnosis methods
The first step in diagnosing fibromyalgia is to have a full assessment by a doctor. Blood tests, x-rays and other tests may be used to help exclude other conditions. There are key signs that may cause the doctor to make a diagnosis of fibromyalgia. These are:
  • A history of widespread pain for three months or longer
  • Abnormal tenderness in specific parts of the body.
Treatment options
There is no cure for fibromyalgia at this time. Effective management of fibromyalgia starts with a correct diagnosis. A management program should then be designed to meet the individual person's needs. Generally, management will include a combination of the following:
  • Education - this is one of the most important components of treatment. People with fibromyalgia need to understand the condition in order to decide what treatment will be effective for their individual circumstances.
  • Medication - in combination with other strategies, medication may be used to manage pain, reduce stress or promote sleep.
  • Exercise - a gentle exercise program (such as Tai Chi or water-based exercise) can have multiple benefits for the person with fibromyalgia. It can help to manage symptoms such as pain, fatigue and sleep disturbance.
  • Stress management and relaxation.
  • Massage.
  • Dietary supplements - there is some evidence to suggest that adding fish oil, magnesium and vitamin supplements to the diet may be helpful, although further research is needed.
Where to get help
  • Your doctor
  • Arthritis Foundation of Victoria Tel. (03) 8531 8000
  • Additional fibromyalgia support groups Tel. (03) 8531 8000 or Toll free 1800 011 041
Things to remember
  • Fibromyalgia is a name given to a collection of symptoms that include fatigue and generalised or localised muscular aches and pains.
  • There is no cure at this time.
  • Symptoms can be managed by working with your doctor to develop an individual management plan tailored to suit you and the symptoms you are experiencing.

    Related articles:

Neuromuscular system.
Pain management.


This page has been sourced from the Better Health Channel and produced in consultation with, and approved by the following sponsor. The sponsor logo links to more information relevant to this article.

Arthritis Victoria

Print a fact sheet

To print a fact sheet, open the PDF (Portable Document Format) version of this article. The PDF has been prepared by the Better Health Channel. You will need Adobe Acrobat or a recent-version browser to display the file. You can download Adobe Acrobat from the Adobe website.

Print a fact sheet Fibromyalgia fact sheet in PDF format.

Article publication date: 29/11/2001
Last reviewed: 29/11/2004

Quality assurance

This article, like all health articles on the Disability Online, is sourced from Better Health Channel and has passed through a rigorous and exhaustive approval process. It is also regularly updated. For more information see Better Health Channel quality assurance page.


Return to top.