The only thing worse than suffering back pain throughout the day is being kept awake all night from the pain. Despite how dead-tired you may feel, the constant tenderness and pain is just relentless. As a result, you may feel depressed and mentally dull. There seems to have been no immediate cause for the pain – no accidents, surgery or illness. Surprisingly, most people go five to eight years before their pain symptoms are classified as “Fibromyalgia Syndrome.”

You’ll know Fibromyalgia back pain by its longevity. Sure, there are good days and bad days, but the dull pain seems to remain a constant. The pain feels like tenderness or sensitivity in key areas: the back of the head, elbows, knees, hips, upper back and upper chest. The pain is typically bad in the morning, improves slightly throughout the day and worsens at night. Some patients report a migratory throbbing sensation, while others report an overall aching or burning.

Some patients diagnosed with Fibromyalgia can trace the onset back to a viral or bacterial infection, while others cite their back pain starting with an accident or surgery. Sometimes emotional stress, autonomic nervous system dysfunction or immune disorders can lead to pain symptoms of Fibromyalgia. Risk factors of Fibromyalgia include age (25-45), gender (female), a family history or a pattern of sleeping disorders.

If you think you may have Fibromyalgia, then you’ll want to make a checklist of body pain symptoms. If back pain and tender spots are most severe, then your treatment will likely consist of muscle relaxants and possibly sleeping pills if you spend too much time tossing and turning. If you’ve been feeling depressed, are stiff in the mornings or are unable to sleep, then anti-depressants will probably be prescribed. Because there’s a stigma associated with Fibromyalgia (which is sometimes called “the welfare disorder”), it can be very therapeutic to meet with other patients in a Fibromyalgia support group.