An estimated 5 to 10 million Americans have fibromyalgia. The range is wide because this chronic-pain condition is difficult to diagnose. There’s no blood test or body scan that can spot it, so doctors rely on symptoms. Generally, the criteria include widespread body pain for at least 3 months plus pain in at least 11 of 18 fibromyalgia tender points. Between 75 and 90% of people with fibromyalgia are women. And while most people diagnosed with this body-wide pain condition are identified between the age of 20 and 50, children and older people develop it, too. In fact, by age 80 about 8% of adults have symptoms that fulfill a diagnosis of fibromyalgia.

• Worldwide, 3 to 6% of people have fibromyalgia. It often runs in families—several siblings or a mother and several of her children may have it.
• It takes about five years, on average, for a person with fibromyalgia to get an accurate diagnosis. One reason is that it can mimic various forms of arthritis.
• In fact, people with rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, or ankylosing spondylitis are at higher risk for also developing fibromyalgia.
• A study conducted in 2007 found that one in three people with fibromyalgia spend $100 to $1,000 out of pocket each month for medical care.
• Ninety percent of fibromyalgia patients have severe fatigue or a sleep disorder. A lack of refreshing sleep can cause fuzzy thinking and memory lapses.

Featuring the top 3 experts for this topic