Fibromyalgia - Risk Factors

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• Pain with tender points is the primary symptom in fibromyalgia. Some patients with CFS exhibit similar tender pressure points. However, muscle pain is less prominent in patients with CFS.
• Fatigue is the dominant symptom in CFS. It is severe and not relieved by rest or sleep, and it is not the result of excessive work or exercise.

Some doctors believe that fibromyalgia is simply an extreme type of chronic fatigue syndrome. There is some physical evidence, however, that the two disorders are distinct, with treatments that are specific to each.

Myofascial Pain Syndrome. Myofascial pain syndrome can be confused with fibromyalgia and may also accompany it. Unlike fibromyalgia, myofascial pain tends to occur in trigger points, as opposed to tender points, and typically there is no widespread, generalized pain. Trigger-point pain occurs in tight muscles, and when the doctor presses on these points, the patient may experience a muscle twitch. Unlike tender points, trigger points are often small lumps, about the size of a pencil eraser.

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Major Depression. The link between psychological disorders and fibromyalgia is very strong and problematic. Certain studies report that between 50 - 70% of fibromyalgia patients have a lifetime history of depression. Only between 18 - 36% of fibromyalgia patients, however, have concurrent major depression, a severe form of depression. It should be noted that some studies found that people who have both psychological disorders and fibromyalgia are more likely to seek medical help, compared with patients who simply have symptoms of fibromyalgia. If this is the case, study results may be biased, favoring a higher-than-actual association between depression and fibromyalgia.

Depression most likely does not cause fibromyalgia, but it may increase susceptibility. Depressed feelings in people with fibromyalgia can certainly be normal responses to the pain and fatigue caused by this syndrome. Such emotions, however, are related to the situation a person is in, and are temporary. They are not considered to be a depression disorder. However, unlike ordinary periods of sadness, an episode of major depression disorder can last many months. Symptoms of major depression include the following: