Fibromyalgia is best described as a syndrome with what characteristics?

• A. Chronic widespread pain with fatigue and tender points
• B. Localised knee pain with swelling
• C. Acute back pain with numbness
• D. Joint stiffness without fatigue

Answer: (B)

Fibromyalgia is a syndrome characterized by chronic widespread pain that lasts for months, often with accompanying fatigue, unrefreshing sleep, and sometimes cognitive difficulties; a hallmark feature is tenderness at multiple body points. This combination—pain spread across the body along with fatigue and tender points—best describes fibromyalgia and distinguishes it from other conditions.

The other descriptions point to different problems: localized knee pain with swelling suggests a knee joint issue such as osteoarthritis or synovitis; acute back pain with numbness implies nerve root compression or a disc problem; joint stiffness without fatigue fits inflammatory or mechanical stiffening without the systemic symptoms that accompany fibromyalgia.