Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that causes widespread pain all over the body, fatigue and poor sleep, and it often also causes problems with mood, memory and concentration. It affects about 2% of the U.S. population and roughly twice as many women as men. Fibromyalgia tends to be diagnosed in middle age, but people of all ages can develop the condition, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The cause of fibromyalgia is not known, although scientists are studying potential explanations. People with the condition may have abnormal pain perception processing, meaning they may have lower pain threshold than people without fibromyalgia. They are also more likely to have lupus and rheumatoid arthritis — autoimmune disorders in which the immune system attacks healthy tissues and causes painful inflammation, the CDC said.
