Pharmacotherapy in fibromyalgia (FM)--implications for the underlying pathophysiology

Abstract

Although chronic pain states are highly prevalent, the underlying neurobiological mechanisms involved in causing pain are incompletely understood. This is especially true for the so-called chronic functional pain syndromes and pain syndromes of unknown origin, such as fibromyalgia (FM), in which no structural correlates of pain experience, in terms of a nociceptive source, can clearly be defined. In addition to limited therapeutic options and often unsatisfactory treatment, such patients often struggle with socio-medical acceptance of their pain condition. As FM has become more widely recognized, options available for treatment have grown along with our understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms underlying chronic pain experience and concomitant symptoms. The current review aims to provide an overview of existing pharmacotherapies for FM, and their implication for the underlying pathophysiology. Further we discuss some of the potential targets that have been recently identified that may hold promise for the development of novel treatments.