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- Published on Thursday, 22 May 2025 15:00
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Maybe you’re feeling a bit lost or want to know more about the condition and what it might mean for you. Here’s some useful information to get you started. Navigating life with fibromyalgia can be challenging, especially for those who have recently been diagnosed or are seeking more information. This page aims to offer guidance on understanding the condition, managing symptoms, and accessing support.
Whether you're looking for insights, mental health strategies, benefits advice, or community connections, you'll find valuable information to help you. Our aim is to provide clarity, support, and reliable resources so that individuals with fibromyalgia can make informed decisions and feel empowered in their journey.
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that is often described in terms of the pain we feel. It has 4 core symptoms:
- Widespread pain - pain all over the body.
- Profound fatigue - feeling as if someone has pulled the plug.
- Fibro Fog / Cognitive issues - struggling for words or misjudging surroundings.
- Non-Refreshing Sleep - waking up feeling as if you haven't slept.
Not everyone is affected in the same way or to the same degree. Some can work full-time, while others have restricted mobility using wheelchairs or crutches.
Fibromyalgia is a common illness—more prevalent than rheumatoid arthritis and often more painful. The study Prevalence of Fibromyalgia placed FM prevalence at between 2.9% and 4.7%.
The name fibromyalgia comes from fibro (fibrous tissues), my (muscles), and algia (pain). You can find out about the history of the condition here.
More information on fibromyalgia can be found here. Details on our services can be found on the Service status page.
Mental Health
We know that any long term physical health condition can have an effect on our mental health and wellbeing.
Key aspects include:
- Accessing therapy and counselling services
- Mindfulness and stress management techniques
- Community support and peer networks
Check out these links for further support.
Benefits
People with fibromyalgia may be eligible for various benefits, including:
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Universal Credit
- Carer’s Allowance
Support and advice are available to help individuals navigate the benefits system. You can find out more information here.
Employment
We have a booklet for employers and for employees that can help inform and navigate some of the issues that affect people with fibromyalgia. This can involve:
- Reasonable adjustments
- Informing managers and team of condition
- Illness and abscences
Support and advice are available to help individuals with employment issues from ourselves and others. More info here.
Young People with fibro
Dealing with fibromyalgia at school or university presents its own challenges. Our booklet can help but there are other resources that can support young people.
You can find more resources here
Places to talk
Fibromyalgia plays a large part in our lives and can affect many things. Reaching out to our online communities or helplines and talking to people with fibrmyalgia can help. But, there are other resources you can use if you need to have a chat. Some are specific to a particular group or age.
- The Silver Line helpline run by AGE UK is a free confidential telephone service for older people. They provide freindship, conversation and support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. (for anyone aged over 55)
- Scope's helpline provides free, independent and impartial advice and support on issues that matter to disabled people and their families.
- ChildLine is open 24/7 with counsellors willing to listen and support anyone under 19 about anything you would like to talk about.
- Samaritans are there if you need someone to talk to whatever you are going through. They offer phone, text and other options to have a chat.
Support Resources
You can find out more about our helplines and support groups here including any notice due to holidays or closures.