Fibromyalgia syndrome is a very common feature in the daily practice of rheumatologists. Therapy is based on the use of analgesics, anti-depressants, and other drugs. Many physicians indicate exercise, stretching, and relaxing programs as adjuvant therapies. It was surprising to find fibromyalgia in well-trained athletes. The syndrome, however, appears in athletes that reported recurrent tendon-muscle lesions. In this study, the authors analyzed a group of gymnastics and track and field athletes involved in competitive training. They found a significant incidence of the syndrome (7 in 20 subjects) in this group. This is an important finding, since fibromyalgia causes muscular pain and stiffness, and can predispose the athletes to muscle lesions and damage. Another important point regarding the syndrome is that some of its symptoms are related to overtraining and to the chronic fatigue syndrome. Therefore, the authors suggest that there is an important connection between those aspects.
Fibromyalgia; Muscular lesion; Overtraining