EDITORIAL - Should rheumatologists retain ownership of fibromyalgia?

[Guest guest]

Should Rheumatologists Retain Ownership of Fibromyalgia?

THE FIBROMYALGIA QUANDARY OF THE LAST 2 DECADES

Fibromyalgia (FM) has courted controversy since formal recognition in

the mid-1980s1–4. Ambivalence regarding the very existence of this

condition has at times stimulated heated debate. As FM was initially

believed to be a rheumatic complaint due to the presence of body pain

and soft tissue tenderness, rheumatologists, by default, have had

responsibility for the diagnosis and, often, continued management of

these patients. This ownership was consolidated by the development of

criteria for diagnosis of FM by the American College of Rheumatology

(ACR) in 19905.

Over the last 2 decades there has been an evolution in the

understanding and awareness of FM, which may affect between 2% and 4%

of the population6–8. The scientific basis for FM is now firmly

grounded with objective neurophysiologic evidence. FM can no longer be

categorized as a rheumatic disease process, but rather is a pain

syndrome centered in the nervous system9–12. It is also increasingly

clear that optimal management of patients with FM requires the

healthcare team to address a broad spectrum of varied complaints that

go beyond a simple complaint of pain13.We therefore propose that now

is the time for rheumatologists to reevaluate their responsibility for

both the diagnosis and care of patients with FM.

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Read the full editorial here:

http://jrheum.org/content/36/4/667.full

Not an MD