[Fibromyalgia]

Although chronic musculoskeletal pain represents the main symptom of fibromyalgia, those affected usually experience many and various accompanying symptoms of differing frequency and extent. While symptoms such as non-restful sleep, daytime fatigue, impaired memory and concentration, morning stiffness, as well as digestive and urination disorders help to establish the diagnosis, they represent a particular disease burden on patients, those around them and on the social system. Pathogenetic research is focussed increasingly on a central dysregulation in pain perception and pain processing, leading to the concept of "central sensitisation" as a final common pathway for fibromyalgia and similar syndromes. This supports the recommendations for prompt multimodal therapy based on pharmaco-, functional and behavioural therapy.