My fibro story began 20yrs ago, aged 28, diagnosed with Costochondritis - 'inflammation based'.

17yrs ago, pregnancy, extremely painful ribs & pelvis - 'inflammation based'.

16yrs ago, my entire body began getting sore, all bones painful & sensitive to touch - 'inflammation based'.

Now, entire body/bones extremely sensitive to touch, sore muscles, no strength etc, etc, and with added aches & pains on top of everything else, shooting pains, weird cramps, electric shock style pains.....etc etc etc - 'not just inflammation based'.

Every fibro person has their own story, how their body copes & reacts over time. Nowadays my aches & pains feel not only inflammation based, but also more & more arthritic based.
So personally I feel there's a basis for both inflammation AND arthritis.
Could be connected to age? How long you've been suffering? Your body is prone to arthritis? Hereditary? The debate could go on & on xxxxx

The I inflammation is not within the joints as it is written arthritis, however it can occur around the connective tissue, muscle layers and organs. Inflammation is simply the bodies immune protection response to some type of perceived injury.

I have heard the same. That fibromyalgia does not cause actual inflammation or damage to the body. There is no elevated inflammortory marker like CRP in fibromyalgia. However I feel very inflamed most days and especially during a flare. I have noticed it may not be inflammation but instead muscle tightness that won't relax. My muscles get so tight they compress the nerves and therefore give me nerve pain when I am really bad. The joint pain I get occasionally seems to be from an increase in sodium in my diet. I believe this is because I (like other fibromyalgia sufferes) tend to retain more water.
Not sure if this helps anyone but I thought I would add what I have learned since being diagnosed.

No actually in my research I must say I am no expect. Fybro. Affects the muscles tendons an nerves. When someone touches you known as trigger points it hurts muscle mot bone. The muscles totally ache and hurt. When you have a flare up seems to me at times it is a constant flare up muscle contract therefore squeezing nerves causing extreme pain from muscles contracting squeezing nerves. It is now being researched and there is a chemical in the brain that lets out a like serotonin as an example to much causing pain. Add on top of that arthritis rhumatoid exactly and other physical and mental conditions for this disease plays with your psychey thus causing chemical imbalance of brain. The brain can not handle the sesation of pain as a normal person thus giving us a low tolerance for pain. Ra swells the bones touching muscles and nerves.l it is alot of researc and being a guienie pig. I am so over doctors and them not knowing. Alas I must go on.

I dont think basic fibro is inflammatory. But my female problems from it and headaches were. Now going thru some major arthritic conditions and bursitis there is a difference in the pain . But I believe my fibro intesivies it .