Fibromyalgia syndrome

Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a rheumatic disorder characterized by chronic achy muscular pain that has no obvious physical cause. It most commonly affects the lower back, the neck, the shoulders, the back of the head, the upper chest, and/or the thighs, although any area or areas of the body may be involved. The pain is usually described as burning, throbbing, shooting, and stabbing. The pain and stiffness is often greater in the morning than at other times of the day, and it may be accompanied by chronic headaches, strange sensations in the skin, insomnia, irritable bowel syndrome, and temporomandibular joint syndrome (TMJ). Depression often accompanies this disorder, and stress may trigger the development of problems similar to those associated with cardiovascular disease and adrenal gland disorders.