HealthWise KnowledgeBase
Fibromyalgia
Cause
Fibromyalgia is a syndrome—a set of symptoms that occur together. Experts have ideas about what may cause it, but there is not enough evidence to support any one idea. Some ideas include:
- Nerve cells may be too sensitive.
- Chemicals in the brain (neurotransmitters) may be out of balance.
- The deep phase of sleep may be disrupted and affect the amount of hormones that your body releases.
Many people connect the beginning of their symptoms to a certain event, such as the flu, an injury or surgery, or emotional trauma and stress.Reference 1 An event of this type combined with other things, such as increased sensitivity to pain and sleep problems, may lead to fibromyalgia in some people.
| By: | Reference Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: Reference June 11, 2012 |
| Medical Review: | Reference Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine
Reference Karin M. Lindholm, DO - Neurology |
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