Centralized nociplastic pain causing fibromyalgia: an emperor with no cloths?

Clin Rheumatol. 2022 Dec;41(12):3915-3917. doi: 10.1007/s10067-022-06407-5. Epub 2022 Oct 14.

Abstract

The leading school of thought views fibromyalgia as a central sensitization syndrome. Nociplastic pain is the recently proposed term to mechanistically explain central sensitization. Accumulating research suggests an alternate explanation; fibromyalgia can be conceptualized as a neuropathic pain syndrome and dorsal root ganglia (not the brain) as the primary fibromyalgia pain source. There is no need to propose nociplastic pain as new chronic pain mechanism.

Keywords: Central sensitization syndrome; Dorsal root ganglia; Dysautonomia; Fibromyalgia; Neuropathic pain; Nociplastic pain.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Central Nervous System Sensitization
  • Chronic Pain*
  • Fibromyalgia* / complications
  • Ganglia, Spinal
  • Humans
  • Syndrome