History of Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia has been around since Biblical times and has been studied since the early 1800's. It has historically been known as muscular rheumatism, hysterical paroxysm, neurasthenia or fibrositis. The disease is not new, but the name is. The term fibromyalgia was invented in 1976 to better describe the symptoms of the disorder. The disease first was listed as a recognizable disorder in 1990 when the American College of Rheumatology first developed a diagnostic criteria for the disorder.

Signs and symptoms were first clinically described by a physician in 1824. A doctor from Edinburgh, Scotland first described the tender points of the disorder. Dr. Muhammad B. Yunus took these signs and ran the first clinical controlled study of the disorder in 1981. The disorder encompasses genetic, stress-related and metabolic components. It affects many more women than men and is the most misdiagnosed disorder presented to physicians for treatment.

Pain is the dominant symptom of the disorder, but sleep disturbances, cognitive disorders, muscle spasms, headaches and sensitivity to light are also common symptoms. Unfortunately, diagnosis of fibromyalgia is most often made by eliminating all other possible causes. Many doctors do not believe the condition actually exists. Many patients go years without treatment, going from doctor to doctor, trying to get relief. Many patients suffer from depression, which only exacerbates the condition. It is only recently that diagnostic criteria have been published and formal treatment has been authorized for physicians to treat fibromyalgia as an official disorder.