title: Fibromyalgia and myofascial pain syndromes and the workers' compensation environment: an update.
abstract: Fibromyalgia and myofascial pain syndromes are terms used to describe a constellation of complaints ranging from generalized aches to specific tender trigger points often accompanied by fatigue, depression, and sleep disturbances. In the past 5 years, research has been directed primarily at determining the pathophysiology of fibromyalgia and myofascial pain syndromes and the treatment of patients' comorbidities to alleviate their symptomatology. Controversy exists as to whether fibromyalgia and myofascial pain syndromes represent a specific pathology or are merely terms to describe clinical conditions that provide patients with the reassurance that their symptoms are real and help clinicians with therapeutic direction. In the occupational health setting, this uncertainty can lead to significant difficulty in determining short- and long-term disability and assigning culpability to an individual's work environment.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hand, Elbow and Microsurgery, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Michigan Medical Center, 2098 South Main Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48103, USA. rhayden@med.umich.edu
authors.forename: Radford J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Hayden
authors.forename: Dean S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Louis
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Doro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D015984:Causality; D015897:Comorbidity; D000529:Complementary Therapies; D017281:Cost of Illness; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009209:Myofascial Pain Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D009784:Occupational Diseases; D016272:Occupational Health; D009787:Occupational Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration*; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D015995:Prevalence; D017678:Sex Distribution; D009626:Terminology as Topic; D014942:Workers' Compensation / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017132:Workplace