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Last updated Wednesday, December 22, 2004
Causes
Most people with fibromyalgia do not remember any specific event that lead to their symptoms. Some people feel that fibromyalgia was triggered by stresses such as an illness, emotional trauma, or hormonal changes. These stresses may precipitate the generalized pain, fatigue, and sleep and mood problems that characterize fibromyalgia.
Physical or emotional trauma could precipitate fibromyalgia in a number of ways. For example, a physical trauma such as having an infection or flu could lead to certain hormonal or chemical changes that promote pain and worsen sleep. In addition, people with fibromyalgia may become inactive, depressed, and anxious about their health, further aggravating the disorder. Smoking and inappropriate exercise or poor posture may aggravate fibromyalgia. The tender points mentioned above have been shown to indicate that a person is under stress. People with fibromyalgia may internalize their stress, i.e. keep it inside and then it is expressed as muscle tension and pain.
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