Fibromyalgia and CFS

There was an interesting symposium entitled "The Biopsychosocial Approach to Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome". It featured researchers with differing views as to the nature of FM and CFS. Dr. Milton Cohen, from Australia, asserted that two fundamental errors have been perpetuated in contemporary research on the clinical phenomenon of widespread pain and fatigue. The first is the failure to distinguish a clinical feature from a disease process, without a unifying concept. The second major error is the failure to focus on the neurobiology of the defining clinical finding—i.e. increased pain sensitivity.

Dr. Lawrence Bradley from Birmingham AL contested Dr. Cohen's statement regarding the lack of research on the neurobiology of FM and presented impressive evidence for abnormal pain processing and dysregulation of neuroendocrine function in FM. He noted that disorders such as FM, CFS and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) had a large degree of overlap. But he also noted that not all persons with CFS showed the abnormal pain sensitivity of typical FM patients. Dr. Bradley concluded that a better understanding of the natural history of these overlap syndromes, looking at genetic contributions, developmental stressors and triggering events, will be essential in unraveling the relationships of these common disorders.