Types of arthritis

Characteristics of fibromyalgia

• Fibromyalgia is a long-term rheumatic disease and characterized by widespread pain throughout the body.
• Fibromyalgia is an autoimmune disease. Its exact cause is still unknown, but family history and obesity may play a major role.

Epidemiology

• Approximately 10% of the general population have chronic widespread pain, and approximately 3-5 % had fibromyalgia. * The prevalence of fibromyalgia in Korea has been reported to be about 2.2%.
• Women are 6-8 times more likely than men.
• Fibromyalgia develops most commonly in young and middle-aged women, but can also affect women older than 60 years old.

Symptoms

Diagnosis: Tender point examination

• Criteria for a diagnosis of fibromyalgia require 11/18 tender points.
• Fibromyalgia SBS News: June 20, 2012 (http://w3.sbs.co.kr/news/newsEndPage.do?news_id=N1001234095)

Drug treatment

Non-drug management