Fibromyalgia

FIBROMYALGIA

The American College of Rheumatology recently identified three criteria that, if met, suggest the diag-nosis of fibromyalgia:

·        Widespread Pain Index (WPI) score of 7 or higher, and Symptom Severity (SS) scale score of 5 or higher, or WPI of 3–6 and SS scale score of 9 or higher.

·        Symptoms present at a similar level for at least 3 months.

·        Absence of another disorder that would otherwise explain the pain.

Treatment of fibromyalgia includes cardiovascular conditioning, strength training, improving sleep hygiene, cognitive–behavioral therapy, patient education, and pharmacotherapy. Medications approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administra-tion (FDA) for the treatment of fibromyalgia include pregabalin (Lyrica), duloxetine (Cymbalta), and milnacipran (Savella).