Fibromyalgia Causes, incidence, and risk factors

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

The cause is unknown. Possible causes or triggers of fibromyalgia include:

• Physical or emotional trauma
• Abnormal pain response - areas in the brain that are responsible for pain may react differently in fibromyalgia patients
• Sleep disturbances
• Infection, such as a virus, although none has been identified

Fibromyalgia is most common among women aged 20 to 50.
The following conditions may be seen with fibromyalgia or mimic its symptoms:

• Chronic neck or back pain
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Depression
• Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid)
• Lyme disease
• Sleep disorders