Fibromyalgia Pain: “Talking to People & Wearing Clothes Hurts” BBC Review

Here at the London Fibro Clinic, our renowned Fibro Doctors have been doing all they can to educate people about one of the lesser known medical conditions -fibromyalgia (FM). As the National Institutes of Health states:

“Fibromyalgia is a chronic (long-lasting) disorder that causes extreme physical pain & tenderness throughout the body, as well as fatigue & trouble sleeping. Scientists do not fully understand what causes it, but people with the disorder have an increased sensitivity to pain” [1] 

At the present time, there is no miraculous cure which can be given to patients. However, on the bright side, our world-class Fibro Pain Doctors (who have undertaken the necessary substantial years of post-GP training and in-house clinical practice), can provide patients with an accurate diagnosis and a Holistic Personalised Treatment Plan. The latter can include a synergy of multiple conventional and cutting-edge treatments, including:

• State-of-the-art therapies, such as fibro physiotherapy (which can also involve providing patients with simple exercise routines, and movement sequences)
• Injectables (including science-backed pain blockers and Botox)
• Topicals
• Specific proven pharmaceuticals

BBC’s Take on How Fibromyalgia Impacts People’s Lives

The BBC’s senior reporter and newscaster, Elen Wyn, has helped to bring this highly debilitating life- impacting condition to the fore. In her report, she notes that: in the case of a sufferer – a 48-year-old lady named Nia McGregor, just wearing clothes and speaking to people can be painful, she can’t work or drive a car. Indeed, her suffering had been so bad, that at one point, Nia was taking 79 different tablets per day in an effort to quell it [2].

Nia, who for 25 years, did not reveal her intense pain to those close to her: “lived with chronic pain for seven years before receiving a diagnosis and said she tried to end her life three times due to a lack of support. Moreover, members of a new support group in Denbighshire have claimed doctors do not take patients seriously enough, with some waiting more than 20 years for a diagnosis” [2]. Unfortunately, here at the London Pain Clinic, this is not a shock to our Fibro Doctors, as they are fully aware that these totally unacceptable scenarios have been reported from all over the UK the US. One reason for this totally unacceptable situation in the UK, is that GPs (general practitioners) have not undergone the necessary additional years of training and in-house clinical experience that has been undertaken by Fibromyalgia Pain Doctors. Moreover, this lack of GP expertise in fibro means that patients cannot be guaranteed an accurate diagnosis at their local doctors.

Going back to Nia’s story, prior to her accurate fibromyalgia diagnosis in 2014, she went through

years of scans, tests, and “all kinds of medicine” [2]. She explained to reporter, Elen Wyn, that due to the fact that her doctors were not able to give her the answers to her suffering [which appears to mean that the said doctors were not appropriately trained in recognising the symptoms and condition of fibromyalgia], she spent her life sitting on the sofa crying her eyes out [2].

 From Nia’s perspective, she feels that this situation boiled down to “a lack of awareness among doctors [at that this was] the “main problem” [2]. She stated: “they didn’t know what to do with me. At one point I had to go to the hospital as I hadn’t been able to go to the toilet for 49 days, all because of the number of tablets I was taking” [2]. Nia then noted that over time, she was finally prescribed more suitable pharmaceuticals, and that she now consumes morphine and seven tablets per day to ease the pain. – And to that end, she “functions much better” [2]. In Nia’s case, it was an appointment with a  rheumatologist that turned things around for her. Indeed, the latter just looked at Nia, and said:

“I know it’s not in your head.” Prior to this, Nia declared that: “doctors pass you around from department to department. You lose your independence, I had no-one to talk to, I really wanted to kill myself” [2].

Fibromyalgia: Not All in the Mind

As our Fibro Pain Doctors are always abreast of the latest cutting-edge research into Fibromyalgia, they were very pleased to be able to pass on to their patients news of one of the important studies on the subject. Indeed, the study report stated: “it is not imaginary after all, as some doctors have believed. A discovery, published in PAIN MEDICINE ( journal of the American Academy of Pain Medicine), clearly demonstrates that fibromyalgia may have a rational biological basis located in the skin. However, routine testing has been largely unable to detect a biological basis for fibromyalgia, & standard diagnosis is based upon subjective patient pain ratings. For many years, the disorder was believed to be “in the head” & often attributed to patients’ imagination or even faking illness [3].” – These days should now be over, yet with the exception of Fibro Pain Doctors and a number of others, they are not…

 So Who is Likely to Contract Fibromyalgia?

Whilst all sexes can be faced with fibromyalgia, it is more prevalent in women (and those born female at birth), than men. This disorder can impact individuals of all ages (including minors), however, in the majority of cases, it comes to the surface during middle age. Furthermore, the risk of contracting fibro rises with age. Also, as our Fibro Doctors frequently explain, this condition occurs in individuals of all ethnic and racial backgrounds [1].

When patients have their initial online or in-person consultation with a Fibro Consultant, the latter will review their medical history, and ask the patient if they are experiencing any other diseases. – If patients  are dealing with mood disorders, rheumatic diseases, or conditions with generate pain, then they will be more susceptible to having fibromyalgia.

Main Fibromyalgia-Related Conditions

• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Osteoarthritis
• Lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus)
• Ankylosing spondylitis
• Long-term back pain
• Anxiety
• Depression
• IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) [1]

 Did You Know?

 Generally speaking, fibromyalgia runs in families, and a number of researchers feel that particular genes can render some people more susceptible to developing it than others. However, as as our Pain Consultants often explain, fibromyalgia also impacts individuals with zero family history of the condition [2].

What Symptoms of Fibromyalgia Should I Look Out For?

These include:

• Long-standing, widespread pain in multiple regions or throughout the body. Pain is frequently experienced in the buttocks, back, abdomen, chest, head, legs and arms. Sufferers usually describe their fibro pain to their Pain Doctors, as: throbbing, aching, or burning
• An overwhelming feeling of tiredness, or being fatigued
• Insomnia
• Stiffness in the joints and muscles
• Tenderness when touched (by one’s self or others)
• Tingling or a feeling of numbness in the legs and arms
• Issues with remembering things, thinking clearly, or concentrating (a condition often referred to as ‘fibro fog’)
• Elevated sensitivity to: the temperature, odours, noise, and light
• Digestive problems (for example, being bloated or constipated [1]

References

[1]. NIH (2025). “Fibromyalgia.”

https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/fibromyalgia

[2]. Wyn, E. (2025). “‘I’m always in pain – even talking hurts.’ BBC.”

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g2dvj32djo

[3]. Eurekalert. (2013).”Fibromyalgia is not all in your head, new research confirms.”

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/498482