How Can Fibromyalgia Lead to Chest Pain and Shortness of Breath?

Fibromyalgia is a condition where your body’s muscles and tissues hurt easily. This can include the muscles in your chest. When these muscles hurt or are tense, they can give you a feeling of chest pain. At the same time, fibromyalgia may make it hard for you to take a deep, full breath. Studies show that people with fibromyalgia can have weaker muscles that help you breathe, and their chest wall may not move as well as it should. When your chest does not expand properly, you might feel short of breath, even when you are not doing hard work. Stress and anxiety, which can occur with fibromyalgia, might make this problem seem even worse because you might breathe more shallowly. Doctors have noticed that these breathing problems and chest pain are common in fibromyalgia. Treating fibromyalgia often includes gentle exercise, breathing techniques, and other therapies to help relax these muscles and improve how you breathe, which in turn may reduce the chest pain and shortness of breath.