Q. What causes fibromyalgia?

A. Although a definitive cause of fibromyalgia has not yet been identified, it is usually triggered by some kind of physical trauma, such as an illness or accident. The pain and fatigue continue long after the original illness or injury has healed. Why this happens to some people and not to others remains a mystery. Evidence of a genetic component to FM is beginning to mount. Researchers are starting to focus on the possibility that some people have a genetic predisposition to fibromyalgia since often more than one member of a family is diagnosed with FM.