Fibromyalgia affects the musculoskeletal system along with connective tissue and often results in muscle stiffness, especially in the neck, shoulders, and back. Some of the other common symptoms of fibromyalgia are:

• Chronic and widespread pain
• Pain that may feel like a burning pain or a deep ache
• Heightened pain response to applied pressure
• Tender points, especially at the back of the neck and the shoulders
• Body aches and stiffness that gets worse at night and improves over the course of the day
• Fatigue and sleep problems
• Numbness and/or tingling in the hands and feet
  

  Causes

  The exact cause of fibromyalgia is unknown but it has been linked to abnormal levels of certain chemicals in the brain along with differences in the way that the central nervous system processes pain signals. Some of the possible causes or triggers of fibromyalgia include:

  • Physical injury
  • Emotional trauma
  • Psychological stress
  • Sleep disturbances
  • Illness, especially viral infections