Fibromyalgia Syndrome, or FMS for short, is an invisible disease that involves chronic muscular pains and fatigue, as well as a number of other symptoms. Researchers have been seeking possible causes of this disease for years; however, there is not, as of this date, a definite explanation. There is no test to diagnose FMS, therefore until recently, it was often dismissed as a psychological disorder and patients were ignored by their doctors. This causes needless stress for the sufferer, because they are persistently bothered with pain that no one believes since

The most common symptoms associated with FMS are fatigue and depression. The fatigue results from restless sleep at night due to muscular aches and pains, as well as research indicating that patients with FMS do not reach the delta-level sleep of the average person. This has been indicated in the sleep patterns of FMS patients by studies conducted in sleep laboratories (Starlanyl 9). It is felt that depression is not only a symptom, but a result of FMS due to the stress involved in getting a proper diagnosis. In some persons, the pain can be so severe that it interferes with daily household tasks, while in others it only causes mild discomfort. It appears to be affected by the weather, the same way that rain and cold weather affects rheumatoid arthritis.

Diagnosis is difficult for physicians without a specific laboratory test and FMS cannot be revealed by x-rays or ultrasounds. The diagnosis is generally made with an accurate patient history and by ruling out other diseases or conditions. According to the National Fibromyalgia Partnership, it was not until 1990 that the American College of Rheumatology established the criteria of FMS for physicians. The criteria include a history of widespread pain for at least three years in all four quadrants of the body, above and below the waist. In addition, axial skeletal pain must be present in the cervical spine, anterior chest, thoracic spine, or lower back. There are 18 tender points that are checked for pain by applying a certain amount of pressure, 11 of them must be indicative of pain (NFP).

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