Fibromyalgia: the pain behind Lady Gaga's poker face

Lady Gaga has been forced to cancel a number of shows due to the severe chronic pain condition fibromyalgia. But what is it?Earlier this month, Lady Gaga announced the cancellation of the upcoming leg of her world tour due to her ongoing battle with fibromyalgia syndrome. Her behind-the-scenes Netflix documentary,Gaga: Five foot Two, charts her journey to Superbowl half-time show stardom, but also offers an intriguing glimpse into the challenges faced by someone living with chronic pain.So, first to the question many of you may be asking yourselves: what on earth is fibromyalgia? In the simplest terms it is a chronic pain syndrome characterised by tenderness and pain in muscles and deep tissues. However there are many secondary symptoms that go along with this, and the biggest challenge for patients with the condition can be living with severe fatigue, broken sleep, psychological distress and mental lethargy known as ‘fibro-fog’(although the list of potential symptoms goes on, meaning that each individual patient experience can be quite unique).Continue reading...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Science Health Lady Gaga Society Source Type: news