While many people experience chronic pain, for some it can become a debilitating condition that impacts their daily life. If this sounds familiar or if you’ve been struggling with your daily tasks as a result of your chronic pain, you could be experiencing fibromyalgia. But what is fibromyalgia, and can it be treated?

What Is It?

Fibromyalgia is a fairly common condition among adults that causes chronic pain and fatigue in muscles and joints throughout the body. This condition is relatively common; it affects about 4 million US adults, or about 2% of the adult population. Exact symptoms will vary from person to person, but most people experience some degree of joint pain or muscle pain. This pain can be severe enough to cause sleep problems, depression, headaches, anxiety, and more.

Can It Be Cured?

Currently, fibromyalgia is not curable. While there are a variety of pain management techniques and options you can use to reduce symptoms and improve daily function, fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that can last for years or a lifetime. Researchers are working hard to understand this condition and identify a source; eventually, it may be possible for doctors and researchers to address the root cause of this condition. The best available option is to seek out a pain management doctor or pain management center and consult directly with your doctor to address your specific set of symptoms.

Pain Management Options

Treatment methods for this condition will vary depending on the symptoms that need to be addressed. For some people, pain medicine can help reduce symptoms enough to get back to a relatively pain-free life. However, others will need additional intervention and therapeutic methods to reduce physical symptoms. Because symptoms vary so much with this condition, no two treatment plans will be exactly identical, and working directly with a pain management physician is essential to see optimal results.

While fibromyalgia might be a chronic condition, a diagnosis doesn’t mean you have to suffer from chronic pain all the time. Many pain management options exist to get your pain under control so you can get back to life as normal.