Prognosis for Fibromyalgia
Outcome studies suggest that the majority of patients continue to experience symptoms despite specific treatment.
Overall about 30% to 40% of patients will have 40% to 50% relief of their pain. However, this is an average response as some patients get excellent symptom relief, whereas some get none. The number of patients needed to treat to get a 30% reduction in pain and other symptoms varies between 7 and 19 patients, which is cost-effective. A sympathetic patient–physician interaction and an organized approach to therapy that includes nonpharmacologic intervention and patient self-management techniques will commonly lead to meaningful improvement in many patients.
