“What does fibromyalgia look like in a child?”
My daughter is 14 years old and claims she has fibromyalgia after reading up on it online. She says she nearly has all of the symptoms--and I'm really unsure of what to do. Can children have this disease as well?
3 Answers
In kids, fibromyalgia is referred to as amplified musculoskeletal pain syndrome (AMPS) and can be treated by a pediatric rheumatologist. Fortunately, treatment does not usually require any medications but does require a lot of work by the patient and the parents.
Weakness and pain. Children have developed the process.
This is a great question! The better term is "pain amplification syndrome," instead of "fibromyalgia." But it can certainly happen in children, especially teenagers. It is not uncommon at all. Pain amplification syndromes in children are more common than juvenile arthritis or any other rheumatologic disease. Your daughter needs to be evaluated once by a pediatric rheumatologist because pain amplification syndromes can coexist with autoimmunity. And if no underlying rheumatologic diseases is diagnosed, then she needs someone who specializes in patients with pain amplification.
