Myalgia

Myalgia is the medical term for muscle aches and pain.

Myalgia in ME/CFS
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis: Myalgic adj. - of or relating to myalgia. Pain or tenderness in one or more muscles.

Prevalence

 * In a 2001 Belgian study, 87.1% of patients meeting the Fukuda criteria and 90.1% of patients meeting the Holmes criteria, in a cohort of 2073 CFS patients, reported myalgia.
 * Katrina Berne, PhD, reports a prevalence of 65-95% for muscle and/or joint pain, neck pain.

Symptom recognition

 * In the Canadian Consensus Criteria, pain is a required criteria for diagnosis. It requires that "there is a significant degree of myalgia. Pain can be experienced in the muscles, and/or joints, and is often widespread and migratory in nature. Often there are significant headaches of new type, pattern or severity."
 * In the Fukuda criteria, the symptom of muscle pain can be used to help form a diagnosis.
 * In the Holmes criteria, muscle discomfort or myalgia is an optional criteria for diagnosis, under the section Minor Symptom Criteria.