| Fibromyalgia (or FMS for fibromyalgia syndrome) | | | | no swelling involved and the joints are not often |
| is a chronic syndrome characterized by | | | | affected. But pain is felt in the muscles, ligaments |
| musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, and multiple tender | | | | or tendons. By the way, Fibromyalgia literally |
| points, particularly in the neck, spine, shoulders, | | | | means: pain in the muscles and soft tissues. |
| and hips. | | | | The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) |
| Fibromyalgia mainly affects muscles and their | | | | guidelines direct doctors making a fibromyalgia |
| attachment to bones. Although it may feel like an | | | | diagnosis to test 18 points on your body for |
| arthritic joint disease, fibromyalgia is not a true | | | | tenderness. Your doctor puts light pressure with |
| form of arthritis and does not cause deformities | | | | his or her fingers on each point to see whether |
| of the joints. Instead, fibromyalgia is a form of | | | | you feel pain. ACR criteria state that pain at 11 of |
| muscular rheumatism causing muscle pain. There is | | | | the points may indicate fibromyalgia. |