Future perspectives in generalised musculoskeletal pain syndromes

This article describes contemporary controversies regarding two categories of soft-tissue pain (STP) – chronic widespread pain and fibromyalgia syndrome. The tone is more editorial than review didactic. It draws upon history to explain current trends that project possible future implications. It begins with an orientation to classification of STP pain conditions and contrasts two ways to make the fibromyalgia diagnosis. Epidemiological data will be placed in perspective. The article ends with the voice of a non-physician patient advocate.STP classification divides relevant painful conditions into three subgroups, depending on the extent of body involvement (localised, regional and generalised). Fibromyalgia syndrome, in the generalised STP category, is distinguished from other types of chronic widespread pain by virtue of its greater severity. During the past 20 years, the diagnosis of fibromyalgia was based on a research classification (1990 American College of Rheumatology Research Classification Criteria (1990 ACR RCC)) that requires a history of chronic widespread pain and the examination finding of widespread mechanical allodynia. A new approach (2010 American College of Rheumatology Fibromyalgia Diagnostic Criteria (2010 ACR FDC)), validated for clinical use, still requires a history of chronic widespread pain, but the examination is replaced by a historical assessment of co-morbid symptom severity. The populations identified by the two criteria are similar but not identical. Misuse of the new criteria could expand fibromyalgia from 2 to 10% of the general population. Avoidance of the term ‘fibromyalgia’ could return it to the obscurity from whence it came, leaving a much larger problem in its stead.