The Role of the Gut Microbiome in Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia, one of the most common causes of chronic pain, was long considered a psychosomatic illness without a clear underlying biological mechanism. Multiple neurologic, immunologic, and metabolic abnormalities have since been identified in patients with this condition, but their cause remains uncertain.

To determine whether the gut microbiome plays a role, researchers transplanted fecal matter from people with and without fibromyalgia into germ-free mice and studied the changes. They then conducted an open-label clinical study, transplanting fecal matter from healthy patients into 14 women with fibromyalgia.