Fibromyalgia Syndrome: Part I: Explaining the general body pains and fatigue of the nineties

Abstract

Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a form of non-articular rheumatism characterised by widespread musculoskeletal pain and stiffness, as well as tenderness on palpation at char- acteristic sites, called tender points. FMS is the most common cause of widespread pain seen in medical practice and failure to recognise this disorder often leads to over-investigation and over-treatment of the multiple symptoms of the condition. FMS has been established as a distinctive diagnosis in the World Health Organisation's disease classification, ICD-10.