91av

Health

Painful fibromyalgia may be caused by the wrong kind of gut microbes

Altering the gut bacteria of both mice and people either induced or relieved the chronic pain condition fibromyalgia

By Sara Novak

10 November 2023

The bacteria in our guts may influence how susceptible we are to pain

STEVE GSCHMEISSNER/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

The gut microbiome may play a role in the chronic pain condition fibromyalgia. Based on experiments in mice and humans, a faecal microbiota transplant (FMT) from people with fibromyalgia induces its painful symptoms, which can be relieved by an FMT from those without the condition.

Fibromyalgia, which affects around 2 per cent of people in the UK and US, is characterised by widespread pain over the body, often with no clear cause.

Researchers have previously observed

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox. We'll also keep you up to date with 91av events and special offers.

Sign up

To continue reading, today with our introductory offers

or

Existing subscribers

Sign in to your account
Piano Exit Overlay Banner Mobile Piano Exit Overlay Banner Desktop