RESEARCH ON SYMPTOMS OF FIBROMYALGIA

Fibromyalgia is a syndrome which means it is medically recognized as an illness with many symptoms, often overlapping with other similar illnesses.  No two persons with fibromyalgia experience the same types and intensity levels of symptoms.  There may be periods of time during a week, even through the day, where a person with fibromyalgia will experience lower or higher levels of symptoms.  Factors such as stress, weather fluctuations and physical activity can affect the level of symptoms one experiences daily. 

The primary symptom of fibromyalgia is widespread chronic pain, felt in multiple regions and areas of the body.  People with fibromyalgia may also be more sensitive to pain than people without fibromyalgia.   Other common symptoms of Fibromyalgia also experience moderate to extreme levels of fatigue, sleep issues, environmental sensitivities like sensitivities to touch, light or sound, and cognitive functions.  

Fibromyalgia is a disorder of pain processing. Evidence suggests that both the ascending and descending pain pathways operate abnormally, resulting in central amplification of pain signals, analogous to the “volume control setting” being turned up too high.  Fibromyalgia Association Canada’s Research Standing Committee intends to share accredited research on the symptoms of Fibromyalgia, as it becomes available.