Fibromylagia, a condition characterized by generalized symptoms of pain, fatigue, and digestive issues, is a controversial diagnosis in the medical world. Neither the physicians who treat it or the patients who suffer from it know exactly what the disease is, nor is there s definitive test to diagnose for fibromyalgia. Still, the people who have fibromyalgia will tell you that their disease is very well, and so is their pain. This week The New York Times profiles several patients who have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Their experiences and insights into their disease may help outsiders better understand the pain of fibromyalgia, and may help those currently suffering without a diagnosis to discover what is ailing them.

The primary symptoms of fibromyalgia are long-term, body-wide pain and tender points in joints, muscles, tendons, and other soft tissues. Patients with fibromyalgia also often report symptoms such as fatigue, morning stiffness, sleep problems, headaches, numbness in hands and feet, depression, and anxiety. It may present on its own or along with other musculoskeletal conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus. Fibromyalgia is most prevalent in women ages 20-50, but it can affect anyone. Preliminary studies have shown some indication that the there is an inherited tendency toward the disease, but this theory has not yet been confirmed with sufficient data.

When the US FDA approved pregabalin (Lyrica) for the treatment of fibromyalgia in 2007, it was the first time a drug was approved for the treatment of this disease. Since then, Cymbalta, a depression drug, and milnacipran (Savella) have also been approved to treat fibromyalgia patients. These approvals have gone a long way not only in easing the pain of many patients suffering from fibromyalgia, but also in helping establish fibromyalgia as a recognized disease.

You can listen to the patient voices of fibromyalgia on nytimes.com, accessible here.