Fibromyalgia Syndrome: Biobehavioral Aspects

Joan L. Shaver

Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a growing diagnosis in America with an estimated 2% to 6% of adults (4–12 million) but more women (estimated at 3.4–10.5%) than men (0.5%) having FMS. Prevalence increases with age and peaks between 50 and 80 years old. Several features of FMS overlap with other chronic painful and fatiguing conditions such as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and temporomandibular disorders (TMD), among others. These conditions share the dubious distinction of having no clear pathological markers, which precludes definitive tests, and so are diagnosed by symptoms and exclusion of other possible diagnoses. Many people display symptoms that meet diagnostic criteria for more than one of these conditions (Bennett, 1998); overlapping symptoms particularly include unexplained and enduring fatigue, diffuse or widespread muscle and joint pain, sleep disturbances, and activity intolerance. Many individuals with FMS also meet criteria for CFS, and many studies include subjects with ...

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