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Fibromyalgia

Who’s at Risk for Fibromyalgia? A Pain Doctor Explains

Karen Hovav, MD, FAAP
Written by HN Editorial | Reviewed by Karen Hovav, MD, FAAP
Updated on April 4, 2025
Featuring Anita Gupta, DO, MPP, PharmDReviewed by Karen Hovav, MD, FAAP | April 4, 2025

Pain is often linked to clear, obvious causes: lifting heavy objects, bad posture, a broken bone, a paper cut, arthritis, or a bee sting. One pain condition whose causes doctors and researchers still struggle to understand is fibromyalgia. Researchers may not yet know the cause, but there does appear to be some risk factors for fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia is a syndrome associated with chronic muscle pain throughout the body.

References

American College of Rheumatology. (2023). Fibromyalgia.

Cohen, H. (2017). Controversies and challenges in fibromyalgia: a review and a proposal. Therapeutic Advances in Musculoskeletal Disease.

GoodRx Health has strict sourcing policies and relies on primary sources such as medical organizations, governmental agencies, academic institutions, and peer-reviewed scientific journals. Learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate, thorough, and unbiased by reading our editorial guidelines.

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Why trust our experts?

Karen Hovav, MD, FAAP, has more than 15 years of experience as an attending pediatrician. She has worked in a large academic center in an urban city, a small community hospital, a private practice, and an urgent care clinic.

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