title: Improving the recognition and diagnosis of fibromyalgia.
abstract: Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic widespread pain disorder often seen in primary care practices. Advances in the understanding of FM pathophysiology and clinical presentation have improved the recognition and diagnosis of FM in clinical practice. Fibromyalgia is a clinical diagnosis based on signs and symptoms and is appropriate for primary care practitioners to make. The hallmark symptoms used to identify FM are chronic widespread pain, fatigue, and sleep disturbances. Awareness of common mimics of FM and comorbid disorders will increase confidence in establishing a diagnosis of FM.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience and the Women's Health Research Program, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA. lesley.arnold@uc.edu
authors.forename: Lesley M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Arnold
authors.forename: Daniel J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Clauw
authors.forename: Bill H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: McCarberg
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011788:Quality of Life; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology