https://painscience.nitre.org/ How the nervous system produces chronic pain, what central sensitization means, and what the evidence supports for fibromyalgia and related conditions. en https://painscience.nitre.org/articles/fibromyalgia-drugs-compared/ https://painscience.nitre.org/articles/fibromyalgia-drugs-compared/ A side-by-side comparison of the three most evidence-supported medications for fibromyalgia: duloxetine (Cymbalta), pregabalin (Lyrica), and amitriptyline, covering mechanisms, trial data, side effects, and practical prescribing considerations. Wed, 09 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://painscience.nitre.org/articles/chronic-pain-and-the-brain/ https://painscience.nitre.org/articles/chronic-pain-and-the-brain/ How chronic pain changes the brain: structural differences, functional changes in pain processing, the role of the prefrontal cortex, and evidence that some changes reverse with effective treatment. Sun, 16 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://painscience.nitre.org/articles/aerobic-vs-strength-vs-aquatic-exercise/ https://painscience.nitre.org/articles/aerobic-vs-strength-vs-aquatic-exercise/ A comparison of aerobic, strength, and aquatic exercise for fibromyalgia based on systematic review evidence: effect sizes, practical considerations, adherence, and how to choose. Thu, 23 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://painscience.nitre.org/articles/pain-catastrophizing/ https://painscience.nitre.org/articles/pain-catastrophizing/ What pain catastrophizing is, the three components (rumination, magnification, helplessness), its relationship to pain outcomes, why it is not blaming the patient, and how it is treated. Mon, 29 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://painscience.nitre.org/articles/graded-exposure-for-pain/ https://painscience.nitre.org/articles/graded-exposure-for-pain/ An evidence-based explanation of graded exposure for chronic pain and fibromyalgia: the fear-avoidance model, how exposure differs from graded activity, what the trials show, and practical implementation. Fri, 05 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://painscience.nitre.org/articles/hyperalgesia-explained/ https://painscience.nitre.org/articles/hyperalgesia-explained/ What hyperalgesia is, how it differs from allodynia, the spinal cord mechanisms that produce it, its role in fibromyalgia, and opioid-induced hyperalgesia. Tue, 12 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://painscience.nitre.org/articles/allodynia-explained/ https://painscience.nitre.org/articles/allodynia-explained/ What allodynia is, how central sensitization produces it, the types of allodynia found in fibromyalgia, and why understanding the mechanism matters for treatment and self-advocacy. Sat, 18 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://painscience.nitre.org/articles/wind-up-pain/ https://painscience.nitre.org/articles/wind-up-pain/ An explanation of wind-up pain (temporal summation) in chronic pain and fibromyalgia: the spinal cord mechanism, NMDA receptors, how it differs from normal pain processing, and what enhanced wind-up means for treatment. Wed, 25 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://painscience.nitre.org/articles/fibromyalgia-tender-points/ https://painscience.nitre.org/articles/fibromyalgia-tender-points/ The history of fibromyalgia tender points, why the 1990 ACR criteria used them, what problems emerged in clinical practice, and how the 2010 and 2016 criteria replaced them with the WPI and SSS. Sun, 01 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://painscience.nitre.org/articles/fibromyalgia-and-sleep/ https://painscience.nitre.org/articles/fibromyalgia-and-sleep/ How fibromyalgia disrupts sleep architecture, why poor sleep amplifies central sensitization, the alpha-delta intrusion finding, and evidence-based approaches to improving sleep in fibromyalgia. Thu, 05 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://painscience.nitre.org/articles/fibromyalgia-diagnosis/ https://painscience.nitre.org/articles/fibromyalgia-diagnosis/ How fibromyalgia is diagnosed using the 2016 ACR criteria, what the widespread pain index and symptom severity scale measure, why there is no blood test, and what a diagnostic evaluation should include. Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://painscience.nitre.org/articles/what-is-chronic-pain/ https://painscience.nitre.org/articles/what-is-chronic-pain/ A pain science explanation of chronic pain: why it persists after tissue healing, how the nervous system changes, and what distinguishes it from acute pain. Fri, 19 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://painscience.nitre.org/articles/pain-neuroscience-education/ https://painscience.nitre.org/articles/pain-neuroscience-education/ An evidence-based review of pain neuroscience education for chronic pain: what it teaches, how it works, what the trials show about its effects on catastrophizing, function, and pain. Tue, 25 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://painscience.nitre.org/articles/pregabalin-for-fibromyalgia/ https://painscience.nitre.org/articles/pregabalin-for-fibromyalgia/ An evidence-based review of pregabalin (Lyrica) for fibromyalgia: mechanism of action, clinical trial results, effect sizes, common side effects, and how it compares to duloxetine. Sat, 01 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://painscience.nitre.org/articles/pacing-for-chronic-pain/ https://painscience.nitre.org/articles/pacing-for-chronic-pain/ An evidence-based guide to activity pacing for chronic pain and fibromyalgia: what it is, how it differs from avoidance, and how to implement it practically. Wed, 08 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://painscience.nitre.org/articles/fibromyalgia-flare-ups/ https://painscience.nitre.org/articles/fibromyalgia-flare-ups/ What causes fibromyalgia flare-ups, why they happen from a pain science perspective, and what the evidence supports for managing and recovering from them. Sun, 14 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://painscience.nitre.org/articles/exercise-for-fibromyalgia/ https://painscience.nitre.org/articles/exercise-for-fibromyalgia/ An evidence-based guide to exercise for fibromyalgia: which types have the strongest evidence, how to start without triggering flares, and why the starting dose matters more than the type. Thu, 21 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://painscience.nitre.org/articles/duloxetine-for-fibromyalgia/ https://painscience.nitre.org/articles/duloxetine-for-fibromyalgia/ An evidence-based review of duloxetine (Cymbalta) for fibromyalgia: how it works mechanistically, what the clinical trials found, effect sizes, side effects, and what to discuss with your doctor. Mon, 28 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://painscience.nitre.org/articles/fibromyalgia-symptoms-explained/ https://painscience.nitre.org/articles/fibromyalgia-symptoms-explained/ A detailed explanation of fibromyalgia symptoms, including widespread pain, fatigue, fibro fog, and sensory sensitivity, and the neuroscience that accounts for each one. Fri, 04 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://painscience.nitre.org/articles/what-is-central-sensitization/ https://painscience.nitre.org/articles/what-is-central-sensitization/ Central sensitization is the biological mechanism behind chronic widespread pain. This article explains what it is, how it works at the spinal and brain level, and what the research shows. Tue, 10 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMT