Fibromyalgia in Children

Fibromyalgia affects over 5 million Americans. About one in six of those are under 18. That's almost 1 million kids and teens in the United States alone.

What is Fibromyalgia?

The best way to explain Fibromyalgia is to talk about how it makes people feel. It causes people with it to feel a lot of pain a lot of the time. Sometimes, the pain feels like stiffness.

Sometimes, it's tender or sore. Sometimes, you feel swollen and inflamed, like you have a rash on the inside - usually your feet and/or hands. Usually, you just feel like you have the flu - all achy and tired - all the time. You can also lose your concentration really easily. You may get headaches and tummy aches and get really nervous a lot, too.

Fibromyalgia pain can be felt all over. It's usually located in certain areas of the body like the neck, hips, thighs, buttocks, and chest. (Yes, I said buttocks!)

Fibromyalgia does not show up on laboratory tests like x-rays or blood tests, so many of us who have Fibromyalgia go through a lot of doctor visits before anyone even believes we have this condition.

How can we tell if kids have Fibromyalgia?

Well, in children, it's just as hard, if not harder, to diagnose this disease.

Here are some things I can tell you. Girls are more likely to develop this condition than boys. The symptoms of the disease usually start when you hit puberty (around the ages of 11 - 15). Children who have problems falling asleep at night and/or don't feel like they've gotten a good night's sleep when they wake up most days, are more likely to develop Fibromyalgia.

No one yet knows how this condition starts or what really causes it. But we do know that if you have a parent with FMS, you are more likely to develop the condition, too. Like many diseases, it seems to run in families.

If you're in pain, it may seem like no one understands. Many adults with this condition feel that way, too. I know I do sometimes. It's okay to feel frustrated or angry when you feel misunderstood.

If you feel pain for no good reason, like if someone hit you or you fell, and you feel it a lot, please don't let anyone tell you it's just "growing pains." There's no such thing as "growing pains". If you feel bad, catch colds really easy and always feel tired, have your parents take you to a doctor.

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