TY - JOUR T1 - Trauma and Fibromyalgia — Black and White? Or 50 Shades of Grey? JF - The Journal of Rheumatology JO - J Rheumatol SP - 1732 LP - 1733 DO - 10.3899/jrheum.140865 VL - 41 IS - 9 AU - GARETH T. JONES Y1 - 2014/09/01 UR - http://www.jrheum.org/content/41/9/1732.abstract N2 - Fibromyalgia (FM) is relatively common, with prevalence estimates between 2.0% and 3.5%1,2,3. Its prevalence increases with age, up to around age 60 to 70 years; FM is roughly 5 times more common in women than in men4, and is one of the most common reasons for referral to a rheumatologist5. The etiology and pathophysiology of FM are not well determined, and while there are several extant theories — including muscle dysfunction or misuse, central sensitization, sleep disorders, and altered stress axis function — there is little consistent evidence to support, or refute, any of these.Although FM is often insidious in onset, it is part of the human condition to look for a cause for one’s symptoms, and many patients report “trigger” events on which to blame their symptoms. Bennett, et al reported results of a large Internet survey of 2569 participants, and presented data on the 13 most commonly reported FM trigger events among questionnaire respondents (most of whom probably had FM, and most of whom probably completed the questionnaire only once, although one cannot be certain)6. Chronic stress (reported by 42%) and emotional trauma (31%) were the most frequently reported triggers. (The trigger events were not mutually exclusive.) However, physical trauma was also commonly reported, either due to or not due to, a motor vehicle accident (MVA; 17% and 16%, respectively).In this issue … Address correspondence to G. Jones; E-mail: gareth.jones{at}abdn.ac.uk ER -