Chronic Widespread Pain and Fibromyalgia: Two Sides of the Same Coin?
From: Curr Rheumatol Rep. 2009 Dec;11(6):433-436
Chronic widespread pain is very prevalent in the general population (5%-10%) and is characterized by pain in all four body quadrants, the neck, and back. Chronic widespread pain differs from localized pain not only in its distribution but also in the way it affects lives. Multiple pain sites are associated with higher pain intensity, longer pain duration, and greater disability. Anxiety and depression are more common in chronic widespread pain patients than among those with localized pain and pain-free controls. Fibromyalgia has been classified as chronic widespread pain of more than a 3 month duration, with mechanical hyperalgesia at greater than or equal to 11 tender point sites. Fibromyalgia has been found in 2% to 4% of community subjects and represents the extreme of chronic widespread pain. This article compares pain characteristics, quality of life, consequences for daily living, and psychosocial status between fibromyalgia patients and individuals with chronic widespread pain. Available evidence shows that fibromyalgia is associated with more severe symptoms and consequences for daily life and higher pain severity compared with chronic widespread pain.
