"Falling on deaf ears": A historical treatment of fibromyalgia

From 1850 to the present doctors have been examining the phenomenon now known as fibromyalgia, primarily in upper-middle class women. Some sources relate this to a lack of clearly defined roles for women since industrialization and urbanization changed family life. Medicine has not been able to effectively determine the etiology and treatment for this syndrome. Women's voices are "falling on deaf ears". Documented cases of fibromyalgia go back as far as biblical times. It is found in all geographic areas and has been labeled with many different names. In spite of these facts, it was not until 1990 that a name and a diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia syndrome was established. In order to understand the impact illness has had on women this paper will explore the relationship of historical events, social and medical views toward women and fibromyalgia-like illnesses from 1850 to the present.