Fibromyalgia--a new cause for disability pension

Fibromyalgia is a condition under dispute. Accepted by some as a major step forward in understanding some of the patients with widespread muscular pain, looked upon as a confusing side step by others. In 1988 fibromyalgia was by far the most frequent single diagnosis as a reason for disability pension in Norway. Disability statistics however show big differences between counties. Two neighbouring counties had among the lowest and the highest incidence of disability pensioners with the diagnosis fibromyalgia. New pensioners with fibromyalgia and some closely related diagnoses have been studied during the year 1988 by means of reading the insurance records. It became apparent that the difference between the two counties with respect to the incidence of fibromyalgia as a cause of disability pension could be explained by differences in diagnostic setting by the doctors and difference in the assessment from the insurance system, rather than real differences in morbidity pattern. Complaints from the musculoskeletal system is frequent and increasing in the population both as a reason for sick leave and disability pension. Whether this complicated and challenging situation is made more easy to handle by defining a subgroup of those persons as having "fibromyalgia" is questioned.