What is the Difference Between Myalgia and Fibromyalgia

The key difference between myalgia and fibromyalgia is that myalgia is a condition that results in muscle pain due to a wide variety of causes, such as overuse, injury, and strain, while fibromyalgia is a condition that results in pain and tenderness throughout the body, fatigue, and trouble sleeping due to stressful or traumatic events.

Myalgia and fibromyalgia are two conditions that cause muscle pain throughout the body. However, they are inherently different conditions. Myalgia mainly results in muscle pain. However, fibromyalgia can result in muscle pain, sleeping problems, lingering fatigue, and even chronic depression.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Myalgia 
3. What is Fibromyalgia
4. Similarities – Myalgia and Fibromyalgia
5. Myalgia vs. Fibromyalgia in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Myalgia vs. Fibromyalgia

What is Myalgia?

Myalgia is also known as muscle pain or muscle ache. It can be a symptom of many diseases as well. Muscle pains in myalgia usually involve ligaments, tendons, and fascia, the soft tissues that connect muscles, bones, and organs. The most common cause of acute myalgia is the overuse of a muscle. Viral infections can also cause myalgia. Myalgia can also be triggered by allergies, underlying medical conditions, specific medications, as a response to vaccination, and dehydration in certain cases. Moreover, long-lasting myalgia may be triggered by metabolic myopathy, some nutritional deficiencies, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, and amplified musculoskeletal pain syndrome. The symptoms of this condition may include muscle cramps, aches, and joint pain.

Myalgia can be diagnosed through careful clinical evaluations of muscle cramps and joint pain. Furthermore, myalgia can treated by managing underlying conditions, applying heat, resting, taking paracetamol, NSAIDs, massage, cryotherapy, and using muscle relaxants.

What is Fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that results in pain and tenderness throughout the body, fatigue, and trouble sleeping due to stressful or traumatic events. Fibromyalgia can affect anyone, but it is more common in women. Moreover, the symptoms of this condition may include chronic widespread pain throughout the body, fatigue, trouble sleeping, muscle and joint stiffness, tenderness to touch, numbness and tingling in arms and legs, problems with concentrating, and heightened sensitivity to light, noise, odour, and temperature. Genetic factors, abnormal levels of certain chemicals in the brain, and changes in the central nervous system can trigger fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia can be diagnosed through medical history, physical examinations, and FM tests (blood tests). Furthermore, fibromyalgia is treated through medications (antiepileptics, antidepressants, analgesics, muscle relaxants, and fatigue medications), stress reduction, biofeedback, lifestyle changes, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and counselling.

What are the Similarities Between Myalgia and Fibromyalgia?

• Myalgia and fibromyalgia are two conditions that cause muscle pain throughout the body.
• Myalgia can occur due to fibromyalgia.
• Both are not life-threatening conditions.
• Both can be diagnosed through physical examination.
• They can be treated through medications and therapies.

What is the Difference Between Myalgia and Fibromyalgia?

Myalgia is a condition that results in muscle pain due to causes such as overuse, injury, and strain, while fibromyalgia is a condition that results in pain and tenderness throughout the body, fatigue, and trouble sleeping due to stressful or traumatic events. Thus, this is the key difference between myalgia and fibromyalgia. Furthermore, myalgia is triggered by allergies, underlying medical conditions, specific medications, as a response to vaccination, dehydration, metabolic myopathy, some nutritional deficiencies, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, and amplified musculoskeletal pain syndrome. On the other hand, fibromyalgia is triggered by genetic factors, abnormal levels of certain chemicals in the brain, and changes in the central nervous system.

The infographic below presents the differences between myalgia and fibromyalgia in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.

Summary – Myalgia vs. Fibromyalgia

Myalgia and fibromyalgia are two associated medical conditions. Both these conditions can cause muscle pain throughout the body. However, myalgia mainly results in muscle pain, while fibromyalgia results in sleeping problems, lingering fatigue, and even chronic depression other than muscle pain. Moreover, myalgia is triggered by overuse of a muscle, viral infection, allergies, diseases, or medications, response to vaccination, dehydration, metabolic myopathy, some nutritional deficiencies, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, and amplified musculoskeletal pain syndrome. At the same time, genetic factors, abnormal levels of certain chemicals in the brain, and changes in the central nervous system trigger fibromyalgia. So, this summarizes the difference between myalgia and fibromyalgia.

Reference:

1. “Myalgia.” Johns Hopkins Medicine.
2. “Treatments Worth Trying for Fibromyalgia.” Arthritis Foundation.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Symptoms-muscle-pain” By CDC –  (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Fibromyalgia” By Hang Pham – Monterey Bay Holistic (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia