The History of Fibromyalgia

It is thought that the famous nurse Florence Nightingale suffered from fibromyalgia. While tending to soldiers in the Crimean War (1854-1856), she became ill, and remained virtually bedridden until her death in 1910. Even the Biblical Job is thought to have had fibromyalgia; Job 7:3-4 and 30:16-17 describe the great physical pain he constantly felt. There was no medical explanation for this in Job's time or in Florence Nightingale's. In fact, the term fibromyalgia was not coined until 1976, and no criteria for diagnosis was established until 1990.

In 1997, the National Fibromyalgia Association was formed, and this helped to bring information about the disease to the public as well as initiate more research into finding a cure. In 2005, the first guidelines for the treatment of fibromyalgia pain were published.

The main symptom of this syndrome is widespread pain with no definitive reason why it is there. People who suffer from it can have a very light case, or one that waylays them in bed for days at a time, making it almost impossible to hold down a job or participate in social activities.

Research continues to try and find definitive diagnostic tests to be able to diagnose this syndrome in its early stages. As this research goes on, there are better treatments for the symptoms of it, and people are finding more understanding among doctors who treat arthritis and other similar diseases. Perhaps a 'cure' may not be far off– those who suffer from this syndrome would be deeply grateful were it to be so.