Fibromyalgia (FM), pronounced: fy-bro-my-AL-ja, makes you feel tired and causes muscle pain and "tender points." Tender points are places on the neck, shoulders, back, hips, arms or legs that hurt when touched. People with fibromyalgia may have other symptoms, such as:

• Widespread musculoskeletal pain
• Headaches
• Non restorative sleep
• Fatigue
• Psychological distress
• Specific regions of localized tenderness
• Morning stiffness
• Tingling or numbness in hands and feet
• Headaches, including migraines
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Problems with thinking and memory (called "fibro fog")
• Painful menstrual periods and other pain syndromes

The American Medical Association (AMA) reports that Fibromyalgia is currently the second most common disorder diagnosed by rheumatologists; it affects nearly 20% of their patients. FM is seen worldwide, in all ages and ethnic groups, and in young children through older adults, although for most individuals the symptoms begin in their 20's or 30's.

The community prevalence of FM is reported as 1% in the United Kingdom and up to 5% of the total U.S. population (approximately 3.4% of all women and 0.5% of men). That is, 7 to 10 million Americans have FM. In the US, approximately 90% of those diagnosed are women between the ages of 20 and 50. It occurs in females to males in an approximate ratio of 20 to 1. People with rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases are particularly likely to develop FM.