Fibromyalgia has been included in the draft update of the Essential Levels of Care (LEA) of the Italian National Health Service. The news marks a significant moment for both patients and professionals, representing a step toward recognizing a chronic and complex condition for which greater institutional support has long been requested.
Its inclusion in the LEA—still at a preliminary stage—signals growing attention to chronic pain and central sensitization syndromes. It is a positive development that may improve the clinical visibility of fibromyalgia and, potentially, access to dedicated care pathways.
The draft decree (DPCM) equates very severe forms of fibromyalgia (FIQR score > 82) with chronic and disabling diseases, opening the possibility of exemption codes.
Including fibromyalgia in the LEA may encourage more structured and multidisciplinary care pathways, providing greater recognition and access to services. For those working with movement and body-awareness education—such as the Feldenkrais Method—new opportunities for collaboration within care processes may emerge. For patients, it represents an important institutional step, albeit one with limitations and implementation timelines that must be monitored.
Across Europe, institutional recognition of fibromyalgia varies widely: in some countries it is fully integrated into healthcare systems, while in others it remains an “uncertain” condition. The Italian initiative therefore fits into a broader continental context that aims to develop shared guidelines, strengthen international collaboration, and bring greater attention to the care needs of people living with chronic pain and persistent fatigue.
Critical Issues
While the news is welcome, a realistic perspective is necessary.
The DPCM is not yet law. It still requires parliamentary review and publication in the Official Gazette. Until then, LEA inclusion is not operational, and current timelines remain uncertain.
Coverage is limited to very severe forms, leaving many people with moderate or severe fibromyalgia without support.
Concrete tools are lacking: care pathways (PDTA), application criteria, and regional protocols have yet to be defined, raising the risk of uneven implementation across the country.
Outlook and Conclusions
Including fibromyalgia in the LEA is a symbolic milestone and an important political signal, but its real effectiveness will depend on what happens next: publication of the DPCM, the development of clear and inclusive PDTA, attention to regional differences, and the capacity to integrate medical, rehabilitative, and movement-based approaches.
For the AIIMF community, this moment represents an opportunity to strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration and promote a vision of care that also embraces somatic education, movement quality, and body awareness. Institutional recognition is a significant step forward, but its actual impact on people’s lives will depend on concrete implementation.
Here the link to read the article on AISF website: https://sindromefibromialgica.it/risultato-storico-la-fibromialgia-inserita-nei-livelli-essenziali-di-assistenza-lea/
