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Fibromyalgia: a complex syndrome requiring a multidisciplinary approach
Author(s) -
Spaeth Michael,
Briley Mike
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
human psychopharmacology: clinical and experimental
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.461
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1099-1077
pISSN - 0885-6222
DOI - 10.1002/hup.1030
Subject(s) - milnacipran , fibromyalgia , duloxetine , pregabalin , medicine , multidisciplinary approach , physical therapy , cognition , physical medicine and rehabilitation , intensive care medicine , psychiatry , antidepressant , alternative medicine , anxiety , social science , pathology , sociology
Abstract Fibromyalgia is a pain syndrome which is not due to tissue damage or inflammation and is thus fundamentally different from rheumatic disorders and many other pain conditions. In addition to widespread pain it is associated with a range of other symptoms such as sleep disturbance, fatigue, cognitive disturbance, stiffness and depressive symptoms. A number of multidisciplinary therapeutic programmes involving education, exercise and cognitive therapy have been shown to be effective in bringing relief. The various medications that are currently being developed for the treatment of fibromyalgia are based on different mechanistic approaches. In particular, serotonin noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRI) such as duloxetine and milnacipran and α 2‐ δ receptor ligands such as pregabalin have been shown, in a variety of placebo‐controlled studies, to bring significant relief from pain and other symptoms. The complex symptomatology of fibromyalgia will, however, continue to require a multidisciplinary approach including education and exercise in addition to drug therapy to achieve the most efficient management of fibromyalgia. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.