The mystery of fibromyalgia: when the brain amplifies ordinary sensations

Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition affecting up to 5% of the population, characterized by widespread pain that does not appear in blood tests or MRI scans. The condition stems from a malfunction in how the central nervous system (CNS) processes signals; the brain amplifies ordinary sensations into pain, necessitating a specialized therapeutic approach. The Mechanism of Pain Perception Unlike rheumatoid arthritis, where inflammation of vessels and joints is visible on imaging, fibromyalgia does not directly destroy body tissues. Instead, the nervous system enters a state of hypersensitivity. This causes ordinary touch or movement to be perceived as an electric shock or severe burn. Neurologist Artem Sinitsyn explained to Pravda.Ru that the condition involves a disruption of central pain modulation. The filters that normally discard insignificant signals stop functioning. The patient does not imagine the pain; rather, the source is located in the brain's "settings" rather than the muscles.