Pediatric fibromyalgia

What is pediatric fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is a disorder that causes a child to experience chronic (ongoing), widespread musculoskeletal (muscles, tendons and joints) pain. Experts hypothesize that individuals with fibromyalgia experience pain due to the brain signals that translate pain sensations becoming amplified.

Risk factors

Fibromyalgia occurs in females more often than it occurs in males.

What are the signs and symptoms of pediatric fibromyalgia?

• Constant, dull ache throughout or in many areas of the body that has lasted for at least three months
• Difficulty paying attention, focusing or concentrating on mental tasks
• Extreme fatigue (tiredness)

Individuals with this condition oftentimes also experience other health issues, such as:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) 
• Restless legs syndrome, or RLS - Uncomfortable, often painful sensations in the legs that make an individual want to move the legs, which leads to sleep problems
• Sleep apnea 
• Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders - Causes pain and other problems with the jaw
• Tension headaches or migraines

What are the causes of pediatric fibromyalgia?

In some cases, fibromyalgia comes on slowly over time, with no single, definitive trigger event.

In other cases, the condition may be triggered or exacerbated by a variety of events, including:

• Infection
• Physical trauma
• Serious psychological stress
• Surgery