ECIM 2026: Reframing Fibromyalgia
At the 2026 European Congress of Internal Medicine in Vienna, experts reached a new consensus reframing fibromyalgia as the prototypical nociplastic pain condition.
The "Volume" Problem
Nociplastic pain means the nervous system processes pain signals abnormally. The brain amplifies signals that would normally be ignored — effectively a "volume control" issue rather than tissue damage.
Long COVID Overlap
The consensus highlighted significant overlap with Long COVID, suggesting that viral-induced immune activation can "flip the switch" on central sensitization in vulnerable individuals.