Have you ever heard of Fibromyalgia? Maybe you have. Maybe you haven’t. We wanted to take time to shed light on a chronic illness that is difficult to understand, but is reality for many living with is diagnosis.

Fibromyalgia (fy-bro-my-AL-ja) is a common and complex chronic pain disorder that causes widespread pain and tenderness to touch that may occur body wide or migrate over the body.  Along with other symptoms, pain and tenderness wax and wane over time.  Fibromyalgia (FM) affects people physically, mentally and socially.  

Approximately 10 million Americans (2-4%) have FM with a ratio of about 8 to 2, women over men.  It occurs in people of all ages, including children.

The literal translation of the word fibromyalgia is pain in the muscles, ligaments and tendons. But FM is much more than pain and presents with many other symptoms that vary from person to person. 

Keep reading as Shawnta, a Fibromyalgia advocate, sheds like on Life with Fibio.