Fibromyalgia Syndrome from the Perspective of Neuropathic Pain

Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is one of the several chronic pain syndromes and have been proposed to reflect some primary abnormality of the nervous system. Patients with FMS display common clinical features with neuropathic pain. The responsible mechanisms for symptoms and signs are still unknown. Mounting evidence was shown for central pain processing abnormalities in almost all FMS patients. These anomalies including hyperalgesia, allodynia, abnormal activation of pain-related brain regions and abnormal temporal summation of second pain in FMS patients strongly indicate a neuropathic pain syndrome. This new information led to the proposal that FMS may be a neuropathic pain syndrome maintained by central nervous system sensitization and sympathetic hyperactivity. This different perspective on FMS opens new avenues for research and treatment. In this review, a synthesis of the information about how FMS is related to neuropathic pain syndromes is provided.