Fibromyalgia Syndrome

Abstract

The concept of widespread pain in association with fatigue and general malaise has been recognized for over 100 years. Froriep described ‘rheumatism with hard and tender places' in the 19th century and Gower introduced the term ‘fibrositis' in 1904. Vague notions of muscular tenderness and ‘ psychogenic rheumatism’ prevailed for decades after this. However, it was only with the use of the term fibromyalgia in the 1980s and the publication of the seminal paper of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) in 1990 that a more unified concept of fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) emerged. The aim of this article is to give the GP in training a sound understanding of FMS and to address the specific learning objectives of the GP curriculum as they apply to this complex syndrome.