Your joints are swollen and stiff. Your muscles also ache, and you’re exhausted. Are these symptoms related? They could be signs that you have rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and fibromyalgia. Both are chronic pain conditions that commonly occur together. If you have lupus or rheumatoid arthritis (RA), you’re more likely to develop fibromyalgia. Some other factors weakly associated with the onset of fibromyalgia need further research to confirm their significance. These possible risk factors include sex.
Fibromyalgia is a disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory, and mood issues. It is believed that fibromyalgia amplifies painful sensations by affecting how your brain and spinal cord process painful and non-painful signals.
While RA and fibromyalgia symptoms can overlap and have many similarities, each condition has unique symptoms that the other does not. Both conditions may cause pain, stiffness, fatigue, and sleep problems. However, rheumatoid arthritis may also cause inflammation, joint swelling, low-grade fever, and appetite loss. On the other hand, fibromyalgia may also cause brain fog and headaches.
For more information on these conditions, visit WebMD, Healthline, Verywell Health, CDC – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mayo Clinic, and Verywell Health for detailed insights.
