Review of Fibromyalgia (FM) Syndrome Treatments

Abstract

Background: Fibromyalgia (FM) is a disease characterized by widespread musculoskeletal chronic pain that impairs the patient's quality of life and is considered a somatization disorder. The symptoms of the disease also affect the patient mentally, mainly since invisible pain is the only thing that indicates its existence. A typical symptom that characterizes FM patients is the lack of acceptance of the disease since its pathophysiology is not elucidated, hence the deficiencies in its management, or rather, cognitively, the belief that there is no disease to manage. The current paper aims to shed light on the new treatment methods at a holistic level, that is, cognitive, physical, and pharmacological therapies.

Method: A literature review was carried out that discusses treatment methods that help alleviate the pain, accept it, and manage the symptoms of the disease.

Results: FM symptoms can be treated by taking a broad view of treatment that will include a response to the mind through pain management, response to the body through physical activity, and response to the pain through pharmacological treatment.

Conclusions: Today, there is an evolutionary view that accepts FM and chronic pain diseases as syndromes in which the pain is the disease; therefore, the response to this disease can be applied through three channels: physical, bodily, and mental.

Keywords: cannabinoids; cognitive behavioral therapies; fibromyalgia; physical activity.