Fibromyalgia Research UK

09/06/2026

05/06/2026

Fibromyalgia Research

Recent fibromyalgia research is shifting focus away from brain or psychological theories to biological causes, including immune system issues and the gut-microbiome. New findings have paved the way for the first FDA-approved fibromyalgia drug in over 15 years, alongside advancements in digital therapies and pain targets.Key Medical & Pharmacological DiscoveriesImmune System & Autoimmunity: Research led by King's College London demonstrates that fibromyalgia is primarily a disease of the immune system. When antibodies from fibromyalgia patients were injected into mice, the animals developed increased sensitivity to light touch and cold, indicating that circulating antibodies can directly alter sensory nerves.New Pharmacotherapy: The FDA approved Tonmya (TNX-102 SL) for adults with fibromyalgia. It is a once-daily, sublingual formulation of cyclobenzaprine taken at bedtime, designed to improve restorative sleep and reduce daily pain.Gut Microbiome Links: A 2025 study demonstrated that transplanting gut microbiota from fibromyalgia patients into mice induced pain and molecular changes, whereas transferring healthy microbiota substantially alleviated pain in both mouse and pilot human trials.Diagnostic & Neurological AdvancementsDistinct Pain Pathways: Researchers from the University of Aberdeen and international collaborators identified that chronic pain is processed through a distinct, separate physiological pathway compared to pain from acute injuries, providing a new target for future therapies.Machine Learning & Neuroimaging: Studies are utilizing interpretable machine learning models on textural MRI scans to successfully identify structural brain abnormalities related to fibromyalgia.

05/06/2026

Hip pain and Fibromyalgia

Do you suffer from fibromyalgia and experience pain in your hips? Join the club! Unfortunately, hip flexor issues are a fairly common problem with people with fibromyalgia. The good news is there are things you can do to find relief, improve your mobility, and continue to enjoy life.
As any fibromyalgia doctor can attest, the hips, hip flexors and lower back area all correlate with fibromyalgia pain. This is due to trigger points located in the lower back and surrounding areas.
These areas can be problematic because the hip flexor muscles are responsible for a good deal of your daily movement. You engage these muscles whenever you move your legs. You may not realize it, but you continually use your hip flexors, which means if you have afflicted trigger points in this area, you’ll feel a good deal of debilitating pain that can make it difficult to function.
How Hip Flexor Pain Affects Fibromyalgia
Hip flexor pain is known as flexor tendinosis. This pain is associated with either the iliacus and psoas muscles. Psoas muscles in particular are associated with general back and leg pain caused by sitting too long. When you stand and start moving again, this muscle can cause you all kinds of problems, including debilitating pain.
When flexor tendinosis is caused by an injury not related to fibromyalgia, the pain is limited to one particular area. But for those who suffer from fibromyalgia, the pain tends to spread throughout the body. This spreading is generally due to increased inflammation within the fascia and muscle as a result of eating inflammatory “food” ingredients. Please refer to our “do not eat” list. Fibromyalgia is not a disease.
Treating Hip Flexor Pain & Fibromyalgia
One simple way to avoid hip flexor pain associated with fibromyalgia is to avoid sitting for long periods of time. If you work at a desk during the day, make a point of getting up every few minutes, stretching and walking around. You might consider getting a standing desk and vary your working positions between standing and sitting.
You could also invest in an adjustable office chair and change your sitting height frequently throughout the day. Set the chair high so that your hips rest above your knees. This is a healthier position for your hip flexors — it eliminates the pain caused by muscle shortening.
Most fibromyalgia specialists will also recommend consistent exercise to maintain strength and flexibility. These exercises don’t need to be excessive or difficult. A bit of movement and stretching goes a long way.
One exercise we suggest is to bring a chair close to you as you lie on the floor. Cross one over the other, just above the knee, and hold in place. The chair acts as a safe and effective stretching mechanism.
If you learn how to unkink the myofascia causing the pain and stop eating food that is inflammatory to your biology, the pain will mostly go away.

11/05/2026

During Fibromyalgia Awareness Month, you might notice an increase in dialogue and education around this chronic condition. It is a time specifically set apart to raise awareness about the widespread pain and fatigue associated with fibromyalgia, which affects an estimated 2-4% of the population. This month serves as an opportunity to shed light on the daily challenges faced by those living with the disorder and to encourage further research into its causes and treatment.

Understanding fibromyalgia is crucial for both patients and healthcare professionals, as it can often be difficult to diagnose due to the variety of symptoms that can mimic other conditions. The main symptoms include musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances, and cognitive difficulties, often referred to as "fibro fog." Awareness efforts during this month also emphasize the importance of supportive care and the potential benefits of integrative treatments such as exercise, coping strategies, and mindfulness-based interventions.

As part of Fibromyalgia Awareness Month, you'll find that educational campaigns often highlight recent research and encourage the sharing of patient experiences. Such focus underscores the significance of both the medical community’s efforts in improving treatment plans and the empowerment of patients through self-awareness and self-management techniques. This collaborative approach aims to enhance the quality of life for those with fibromyalgia while also fostering a broader understanding of the condition among the general public.

06/05/2026

Serotonin and Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia (fibro) is a condition that has become more common in recent years. While we don’t necessarily know exactly what causes fibro, we do know that there are several factors that can play a role in its progression.

Diagnosis and symptoms

Recent research has shown that fibro is a multi-system disease. This means that it affects many different areas of the body at once. The most common areas affected in fibro include the nervous system, the musculoskeletal system and the immune system. This can lead to symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, muscle pain and weakness, sleep difficulties and many others.

Nervous system and Serotonin

One of the main theories around the causes of fibro is that the nervous system doesn’t work quite as right. In those with fibromyalgia, there can be pathways in the brain and spinal cord that do not turn off pain signals when they would do so otherwise. This can lead to improper firing of nerves that cause continuous pain in people.

When nerves send signals in the body, including pain signals, they do so with molecules called neurotransmitters (NTs). The body makes several NTs including serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine and GABA. In relation to fibro, serotonin is the most important NT. Those with fibro often have low serotonin levels. This can lead to not only pain but depression and anxiety as well.

It’s not surprising then that the most common medications used for fibro are anti-depressants that can increase serotonin levels. Medications like Cymbalta, which are SNRI’s (serotonin, norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors), will increase the amount of serotonin that stimulates the nerves. These medications have proven to be successful for some people with fibro.

Alternative Treatments for Fibromyalgia

Serotonin can also be increased naturally. Supplements like 5-HTP or St. John’s Wort can increase serotonin levels. Care needs to be taken with these things though. They have to be increased and decreased slowly and should be monitored by a health care provider. Caution should also be used when taken in combination with other medications (especially anti-anxiety or antidepressant medications).

Other calming herbs and supplements like melatonin, valerian and GABA can help reduce some of the increased nerve stimulation. They also help to improve sleep which greatly improves fibro symptoms.

Treating low serotonin doesn’t work for every patient with fibro. There are other factors that can play a role in symptom aggravation. Hormone imbalances, increased stress responses and mitochondrial dysfunction can also aggravate fibro symptoms

17/04/2026

Dear partner, Well, here we are, not only has life as I know it changed, unfortunately so has yours! We are now…

16/04/2026

Fibromyalgia and no energy

Fibromyalgia or, ‘fibro’, can alter the life of anyone. All over pain, non-refreshing sleep and fatigue are the symptoms that become your constant companions. It’s a challenge to achieve a diagnosis and you may also meet unsympathetic health professionals. There is much that we don’t know about fibro, including its cause, but people’s lives are destroyed by it.

Lack of knowledge or research impacts the pain and anxiety that people with a chronic condition experience.

Early intervention is so important, but it can take years to be diagnosed. Lack of effective treatments or having to try numerous options before finding something that improves quality of life by a small amount is the norm.

Fibromyalgia is much more than just pain, but it’s not all that we are, and to make each day have worth it is good to have achieved something.

We hear of patients having treatments withdrawn immediately without any replacement, forcing them to endure increased pain and emotional distress. When patients ask to manage their pain with a previous treatment regime, they may be labelled as having drug seeking behaviour, which makes their journey harder.

What is a working treatment?

A working treatment is when a patient’s pain goes down the scale. Bringing a pain score of eight down to three, for example, is great.

Fibro is much more than just pain, but it’s not all that we are, and to make each day have worth it, is good to have achieved something. Fibromyalgia sufferers cherish small achievements or moments with family as the gains with their pain.