Fibromyalgia Support UK

Although thought to be a new chronic condition, Fibromyalgia can be dated back to the days of Florence Nightingale, who apparently had Fibromyalgia.  In 1976 Fibromyalgia became the name adopted for this chronic illness. 

The picture to the right shows different pressure points known in the human body.  If these points are gently pressed, it should make that area painful.  In a healthy human body the pain should dissipate rather quickly, whereas in a person who suffers with Fibromyalgia the pain will be more painful and known to linger for approximately five minutes.

So what is Fibromyalgia? This is the definition used by Fibromyalgia Action UK. 

'Fibromyalgia is a chronic widespread pain condition that takes your independence, liberty and much more. It also impacts your sleep so that you are less able to deal with the pain.   Add to this fibrofog where you feel like you could forget your own name, and you have a starting point for this condition.  Lack of treatments, working treatments being taken away, disbelief from friends and family and health professionals means that this condition is challenging.  We would not wish it on anyone.' www.fmauk.org. 

Fibromyalgia is different for each individual; symptoms and day-to-day management can be difficult, and medical knowledge of the condition and effective treatment is still far away.

Fibromyalgia is classified as a disability in the Equality Act 2010 states. You're disabled under the Equality Act 2010 if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a 'substantial' and 'long-term' negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities. 

Section A5 of the Equality Act 2010 states - 

A disability can arise from a wide range of impairments which can be:

A disability can arise from a wide range of impairments which can be:

• Sensory impairments, such as those affecting sight or hearing.
• impairments with fluctuating or recurring effects such as rheumatoid arthritis, myalgic encephalitis (ME), chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), Fibromyalgia, depression and epilepsy
• progressive, such as motor neurone disease, muscular dystrophy, and forms of dementia
• auto-immune conditions such as systemic lupus erythematosis (SLE)
• organ specific, including respiratory conditions, such as asthma, and cardiovascular diseases, including thrombosis, stroke and heart disease
• developmental, such as autistic spectrum disorders (ASD), dyslexia and dyspraxia
• learning disabilities
• mental health conditions with symptoms such as anxiety, low mood, panic attacks, phobias, or unshared perceptions; eating disorders; bipolar affective disorders; obsessive compulsive disorders; personality disorders; post traumatic stress disorder, and some self-harming behaviour
• mental illnesses, such as depression and schizophrenia
• produced by injury to the body, including to the brain

The above legislation acknowledges that Fibromyalgia is a disability, along with many other symptoms that people living with Fibromyalgia can suffer from.   Disability: Equality Act 2010 - Guidance on matters to be taken into account in determining questions relating to the definition of disability (HTML) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)