08/19/2026
Fibromyalgia Pain & the Spinal Cord: What Research Is Finding đź§ đź’ś
Fibromyalgia pain is real—and researchers continue to investigate how the brain and spinal cord process and regulate pain signals differently in people with the condition.
Studies using spinal-cord imaging and neurophysiological testing have found evidence of altered neural activity and pain modulation in fibromyalgia. One study found an imbalance in activity within regions of the cervical spinal cord, while other research has identified differences in spinal cord–brainstem signaling during painful stimulation.
More recent research has also explored spinal disinhibition—a possible reduction in the nervous system's normal ability to dampen incoming pain signals—as one mechanism that may contribute to fibromyalgia pain.
This fits into the broader concept of central sensitization, in which the central nervous system becomes unusually responsive to sensory input. It may help explain why someone with fibromyalgia can experience:
• Widespread pain and tenderness
• Pain from normally non-painful touch
• Increased sensitivity to pressure or other stimuli
• Persistent pain without obvious tissue injury
• Fatigue and other sensory symptoms
However, saying fibromyalgia is caused by “spinal cord dysfunction” is stronger than the evidence currently supports. Fibromyalgia is complex, and research also points to changes involving the brain, peripheral nerves, autonomic nervous system, immune signaling, sleep, and other mechanisms.
đź’ś The pain isn't imaginary.
đź’ś The nervous system plays an important role.
đź’ś And scientists are still working to understand exactly how these changes produce fibromyalgia symptoms.