Fibromyalgia is a difficult disorder to pinpoint. The truth is that doctors don’t know exactly what causes fibromyalgia. Some believe that people who develop FM have a lower threshold for pain due to increased sensitivity to pain signals in the brain. This has been referred to as a biochemical ‘overreaction to pain.

The truth is that a vast majority of people with fibromyalgia claim to experience a ‘triggering event.’ This event can be a car accident, an instance (or a prolonged) period of abuse, an injury or a viral illness such as the Epstein-Barr Virus. Many people with fibromyalgia have also struggled with eating disorders, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Sleep disturbances might pre-date the development of fibromyalgia. Sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome and frequent nighttime muscle spasms often occur prior to the ‘diagnosis’ of the condition. However, these can be considered more of a symptom than a cause of fibromyalgia.

Risk factors of the disease give us more insight into fibromyalgia’s causes. For example, many experts feel that there is a hormonal component to the condition. Considering the bulk of PWFMs (people with fibromyalgia) are women and fibro symptoms flare up during the menstrual cycle, this theory is worth looking into deeper. Originally thought to affect menopausal women only, FM is growing among younger women, men and children. Perhaps this is due to the eradication of the disease as a stigma in many circles. At one point, fibromyalgia was thought of as “hysterical women’s disease” or a disorder made up by ‘hypochondriacs.’

It’s important to note that there is a genetic component to the condition. If a member of your family has FM, then you are more likely to develop it. Individuals with autoimmune and arthritic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, chronic fatigue syndrome and ankylosing spondylitis are more likely to become fibromyalgic.