Fibromyalgia History

Contrary to some beliefs, fibromyalgia has been around for hundreds of years, by different names describing pain in muscles. Fibrositis, chronic muscle pain, or muscular rheumatism are some of the various names. Basically Fibromyalgia is a chronic or widespread pain that can sometimes be crippling. Tests do not show any injury to the muscles even though that is where the symptoms point to. It also can disturb sleep, create stiffness in joints and hinder energy levels. The medical term was not introduced until the year 1976 but such symptoms have been dated all the way back to Old Testament times. In Job there is a description of extremely long nights due to painful misery that causes sleeplessness. It even plagued famed nurse Florence Nightingale resulting in her being bedridden the last part of her life.

The name Fibromyalgia itself comes from the Latin word fibra which means fiber, the Greek words myo which means muscle and algos which means pain. In 1987 the American Medical Association finally recognized Fibromyalgia as an illness or a disability cause. The Journal of the American Medical Association followed suit then the American College of Rheumatology published information in 1990 about the illness. There are still many controversies regarding the illness in respect of how real it is. Many believe the condition revolves around stress or a state of mental depression instead of it being a true disease.

Since this condition affects people in different ways there is not a general cure for it. Treatments have been created to help reduce symptoms. Cognitive behavioral therapy is a psychotherapeutic treatment that has shown a reduction in symptoms along with exercise, physical therapy, massage and even acupuncture practices have reduced the pain and fatigue in some sufferers.