What Fibro Is According to the Fibromyalgia Network (http://www.fmnetnews.com/index.html), "FMS (fibromyalgia syndrome) is a widespread musculoskeletal pain and fatigue disorder for which the cause is still unknown. Fibromyalgia means pain in the muscles, ligaments and tendons--the fibrous tissues in the body." Most patients with fibromyalgia complain of pain all over their body. More women than men so far have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, but it occurs in both sexes and in people of all ages. "To help your family and friends relate to your condition, have them think back to the last time they had a bad flu. Every muscle in their body shouted out in pain. In addition, they felt devoid of energy as though someone had unplugged their power supply." The severity of symptoms fluctuates from person to person. It is helpful to think of Fibromyalgia on a continuum, with people having just mild symptoms, able to work and their lives just partially impacted on one end, with others completely bedridden, unable to get any relief from medications or other treatments, etc., on the other end.

American College of Rheumatology 1990 criteria for the classification of Fibromyalgia

1. History of widespread pain.
Definition. Pain is considered widespread when all of the following are present: pain in the left side of the body, pain in the right side of the body, pain above the waist, and pain below the waist. In addition, axial skeletal pain (cervical spine or anterior chest or thoracic spine or low back) must be present. In this definition, shoulder and buttock pain is considered as pain for each involved side. "Low back" pain is considered lower segment pain.

2. Pain in 11 of 18 tender point sites on digital palpation. Digital palpation should be performed with an approximate force of 4 kg. For a tender point to be considered "positive" the subject must state that the palpation was painful. "Tender is not to be considered "painful." For classification purposes, patients will be said to have fibromyalgia if both criteria are satisfied. Widespread pain must have been present for at least 3 months. The presence of a second clinical disorder does not exclude the diagnosis of fibromyalgia.