Fibromyalgia Awareness Day

Each year on May 12, millions of people observe National Fibromyalgia Awareness Day. This day shares the spotlight with other May 12 awareness days such as International Fibromyalgia Awareness Day, Fibromyalgia Awareness Day, International Awareness Day for Chronic Immunological and Neurological Diseases or International Awareness Day for MCS, ME/CFS and FM, which are observed globally.

Fibromyalgia, which affects more than 12 million Americans, is a musculoskeletal syndrome that may cause some or all of the following: widespread pain, tender points, incapacitating fatigue, anxiety, depression, migraines/chronic headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, irritable bladder, insomnia, hypersensitivity to cold/hot, swelling, fibro fog (inability to concentrate/focus), difficulty remembering, numbness, stiffness, decreased energy, noise, light and odor sensitivity and skin sensitivity.

Symptoms may come and go, lasting a few minutes, an hour, a day, a week, a month or a year.

The first National Fibromyalgia Awareness Day was observed in 1992 in honor of the birthday of Florence Nightingale after historical documentation was reviewed and suggested she suffered from symptoms similar to fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. For more information on National Fibromyalgia Awareness Day visit www.fmcpaware.org.