For millions of people living with fibromyalgia and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), one of the most frustrating parts of the illness is not simply the pain or exhaustion. It is the uncertainty surrounding why these symptoms happen in the first place.
People with fibromyalgia may experience widespread pain, tenderness, sleep problems, brain fog, headaches, sensitivity to light or sound, and overwhelming fatigue. People with ME/CFS can experience profound exhaustion, post-exertional malaise, cognitive difficulties, unrefreshing sleep, pain, and a variety of sensory symptoms.
Despite decades of research, scientists still do not have one universally accepted explanation that accounts for every symptom in these complex conditions.
A new theory published in 2026 is now attracting attention. Called the sensation-suppression theory, it proposes a different way of thinking about fibromyalgia syndrome and ME/CFS. The theory suggests that the nervous system may become increasingly sensitive when the body repeatedly suppresses or fails to respond appropriately to important internal signals.
In simple terms, the idea is:
When the body’s signals are repeatedly ignored or suppressed, the nervous system may eventually turn up the volume.
The theory does not yet represent a proven cause or an established treatment for fibromyalgia or ME/CFS. Instead, it is a proposed model that researchers will need to test further. However, it offers an interesting perspective on why pain, fatigue, sensory sensitivity, and other symptoms can become so persistent.
What Is the Sensation-Suppression Theory?
The sensation-suppression theory was proposed by Emeritus Professor Michael Hyland of the University of Plymouth in a 2026 paper published in Exploration of Neuroprotective Therapy. The model combines concepts from biology, psychology, and artificial intelligence to explain how the nervous system might adapt when important bodily signals are repeatedly suppressed.
The central idea is relatively easy to understand.
Imagine that your body has an internal warning system. Normally, this system receives information about pain, fatigue, inflammation, stress, temperature, movement, and other conditions. The brain then processes those signals and helps determine how strongly you should respond.
According to the proposed theory, problems may develop when a person repeatedly has to suppress or override signals from the body.
For example, someone may continue working despite severe fatigue, repeatedly push through pain, remain physically active during illness, or experience prolonged circumstances in which the body’s warning signals cannot be acted upon.
Over time, the theory proposes that the nervous system may adapt to this situation.
Instead of becoming less sensitive, it could become more sensitive.
That could potentially contribute to amplified sensations such as pain and fatigue.
This concept is particularly interesting because people with fibromyalgia and ME/CFS often report symptoms that seem disproportionate to ordinary sensory stimulation. A gentle touch can hurt, normal levels of noise can become overwhelming, and relatively modest physical or mental activity can result in severe symptoms.
The new theory attempts to provide a framework for understanding how these seemingly different experiences could be connected.
How Is This Different From Central Sensitization?
Anyone researching fibromyalgia pain, chronic widespread pain, or ME/CFS symptoms will probably encounter the term central sensitization.
Central sensitization describes a state in which the central nervous system becomes more responsive to sensory signals. This can contribute to increased sensitivity to pain and other stimuli.
Research has found evidence of altered sensory processing in people with fibromyalgia. A 2021 study, for example, found different sensory abnormalities among people with fibromyalgia, including increased sensitivity to painful mechanical and thermal stimulation. Signs of central sensitization were associated with greater pain intensity in that study.
Another case-control study involving people with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome found evidence consistent with central sensitization in both groups. The researchers emphasized, however, that further research is necessary to determine whether central sensitization is a cause or consequence of these conditions.
This distinction matters.
Central sensitization describes what may be happening in sensory processing. The sensation-suppression theory attempts to explain why it might happen.
The authors of the new theory argue that central sensitivity alone does not fully explain the underlying biological process. Their proposed model attempts to connect the development of heightened sensitivity with the body’s adaptation to repeated suppression of important signals.
This could potentially help researchers look beyond the question of whether the nervous system is hypersensitive and instead ask:
Why did the nervous system become hypersensitive in the first place?
That is an important scientific question, but it remains a hypothesis rather than an established medical fact.
Why Could This Theory Matter for Fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is often described as a condition involving chronic widespread pain and abnormal pain processing. But pain is only one part of the condition.
Many people with fibromyalgia also experience:
- Persistent fatigue
- Fibromyalgia brain fog
- Sleep disturbances
- Headaches
- Muscle stiffness
- Sensitivity to touch
- Sensitivity to sound or light
- Temperature sensitivity
- Tingling or unusual sensations
- Irritable bowel symptoms
- Difficulty concentrating
- Anxiety or mood changes
This wide range of symptoms makes fibromyalgia difficult to explain using a single traditional pain model.
The sensation-suppression theory is interesting because it attempts to look at pain and fatigue together, rather than treating them as completely separate problems.
The 2026 paper notes substantial symptom overlap between fibromyalgia and ME/CFS and argues that existing descriptions of central sensitivity do not completely explain why some people experience predominantly pain, others predominantly fatigue, and some experience both.
That does not mean fibromyalgia and ME/CFS are the same disease. They have important differences, and each condition requires careful clinical evaluation.
However, the overlap in symptoms may provide researchers with useful clues about nervous-system regulation and sensory processing.
The “Volume Control” Analogy
One way to understand the theory is to imagine a radio.
Under normal circumstances, the nervous system adjusts the volume of incoming signals appropriately.
A small signal stays small.
A strong signal receives more attention.
But if the body’s control system becomes poorly calibrated, the volume may become excessively high.
A harmless sensation could become uncomfortable.
A normal level of activity could feel exhausting.
A small amount of physical stress could trigger a much stronger response than expected.
This is only an analogy, not a literal description of what happens inside the brain. But it helps illustrate why researchers are interested in mechanisms that regulate the intensity of bodily sensations.
Could the Theory Explain Fibromyalgia Fatigue and ME/CFS?
Fatigue is one of the most disabling symptoms associated with both fibromyalgia and ME/CFS.
However, ordinary tiredness is not the same as illness-related fatigue.
A person with fibromyalgia may feel exhausted even after sleeping. Someone with ME/CFS may experience post-exertional malaise (PEM), in which symptoms become substantially worse following physical, cognitive, or emotional exertion.
The sensation-suppression theory proposes that abnormal regulation of bodily signals could potentially contribute to the way fatigue is experienced.
This is significant because fatigue is sometimes treated as though it were simply a psychological response to chronic illness. That approach can be deeply frustrating for patients.
The new theory instead attempts to describe fatigue as part of a biological control system involving sensory processing and adaptation.
Importantly, this should not be interpreted as proof that ME/CFS or fibromyalgia is “all in the mind.”
The existence of a proposed relationship between psychological experiences, nervous-system regulation, and physical symptoms does not make symptoms imaginary.
Chronic pain and fatigue involve complicated interactions among the brain, nervous system, immune system, metabolism, behavior, environment, and other biological processes.
Research into sensory processing has also identified reduced sensory thresholds in chronic pain conditions and suggested that sensory evaluation could eventually contribute to better biomarkers or treatment approaches.
What Does “If You Don’t Listen to Your Body, It Shouts Louder” Mean?
One of the most memorable ways the new theory has been described is the idea that if you don’t listen to what your body is telling you, your body may “shout louder.” The University of Plymouth used this explanation when describing the theory in its announcement.
This does not mean that people with fibromyalgia or ME/CFS caused their illness by ignoring their bodies.
That would be an unfair and scientifically unsupported interpretation.
Instead, the concept refers to a proposed biological adaptation.
Think about an alarm system.
If an alarm keeps detecting something important but the system repeatedly prevents an appropriate response, the alarm system may eventually become altered. The sensation-suppression theory proposes that something analogous could happen within biological control systems.
The important question for future research is whether this proposed mechanism can be demonstrated experimentally.
If researchers can identify measurable biological changes associated with sensation suppression, it could provide a more testable framework for studying chronic pain and fatigue.
Could This Lead to New Fibromyalgia Treatments?
It is far too early to say that the sensation-suppression theory will lead to a new fibromyalgia treatment or a cure for ME/CFS.
The theory is currently a proposed explanation, not a clinically validated treatment protocol.
However, new theories can influence research by suggesting different questions.
Future studies could investigate whether people with fibromyalgia and ME/CFS show measurable differences in how the brain and nervous system regulate internal sensory information.
Researchers could also investigate whether certain experiences, patterns of activity, stress responses, sleep disturbances, inflammation, or other biological factors influence these processes.
If the theory survives rigorous testing, it could potentially contribute to new approaches for managing abnormal pain processing and fatigue.
But that process takes time.
A scientific theory must make predictions that can be tested. Independent researchers need to reproduce findings, compare competing explanations, and determine whether the proposed mechanism actually predicts symptoms and treatment responses.
Until that happens, patients should view the sensation-suppression theory as promising research rather than established medical fact.
What Does Existing Research Tell Us About Sensory Processing?
The new theory builds on an area of research that has already received considerable attention.
Studies have demonstrated that some people with fibromyalgia experience altered responses to pressure, heat, cold, and other sensory stimuli. Researchers have also investigated changes in pain-processing networks and descending pain-modulation systems.
Research involving ME/CFS has also explored pain sensitivity and central nervous system mechanisms.
A 2021 study comparing people with chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and healthy controls found evidence of central sensitization in most participants with CFS and fibromyalgia under the study’s specific testing criteria. The researchers nevertheless emphasized the need for additional research into whether central sensitization is a cause or an effect.
Earlier research had already suggested similarities between chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia in relation to widespread pain and altered pain processing, while also noting that more evidence was needed.
Together, these studies help explain why researchers continue to investigate the nervous system, sensory processing, and pain regulation.
The new sensation-suppression theory adds another possible piece to this larger puzzle.
What This Could Mean for People Living With Fibromyalgia and ME/CFS
For patients, the most important potential benefit of this research may not be a new medication tomorrow.
It may be a better explanation.
People with fibromyalgia and ME/CFS frequently describe experiences that are difficult to explain to friends, family members, employers, and even healthcare professionals.
Pain may move around the body.
Fatigue may appear after seemingly minor activity.
Noise and bright lights may become difficult to tolerate.
A normal night’s sleep may fail to produce normal energy.
Touch that should not hurt can sometimes become painful.
These symptoms are real experiences, even though researchers are still working to understand exactly why they occur.
A theory that connects sensory processing, nervous-system adaptation, pain, and fatigue could eventually encourage more research into the underlying mechanisms.
That could be particularly valuable because better understanding is often the first step toward better diagnosis and treatment.
Is the Sensation-Suppression Theory Proven?
No.
This is one of the most important points to remember.
The sensation-suppression theory is a newly proposed model. It should not currently be presented as the confirmed cause of fibromyalgia or ME/CFS.
The 2026 research paper itself presents the concept as a new theoretical explanation and discusses limitations surrounding existing explanations of these conditions.
More research is needed.
Scientists will need to determine whether the proposed biological mechanisms can be measured, whether they consistently occur in people with fibromyalgia and ME/CFS, and whether they can explain differences between individual patients.
Researchers will also need to establish whether modifying the proposed mechanism changes symptoms.
Until those questions are answered, claims that the theory has discovered the definitive cause of fibromyalgia or ME/CFS would be premature.
A New Direction in Fibromyalgia Research
The sensation-suppression theory represents an intriguing new direction in the study of fibromyalgia pain, chronic fatigue, ME/CFS, central sensitization, and sensory processing.
Its central message is surprisingly intuitive: the nervous system is not simply a passive communication network. It constantly interprets information, adjusts responses, and adapts to changing circumstances.
If that adaptive system becomes poorly calibrated, sensations such as pain and fatigue might potentially become amplified.
For people who have spent years searching for an explanation, that possibility can provide a reason for cautious optimism.
But hope should be balanced with scientific reality.
This theory is not yet a cure. It does not replace a medical diagnosis, and it should not encourage anyone to stop prescribed treatment or push through severe symptoms.
Instead, it represents another question for researchers to investigate.
And sometimes, asking a better question is how scientific progress begins.
Final Thoughts
Fibromyalgia and ME/CFS remain complicated conditions with no single explanation that accounts for every patient’s experience.
The new sensation-suppression theory offers a different way to think about how abnormal sensory processing could develop and why symptoms such as chronic pain, fatigue, brain fog, and sensory sensitivity may persist.
Its most interesting contribution may be the attempt to connect what patients feel with the way biological control systems adapt.
Whether this theory eventually becomes an important part of fibromyalgia and ME/CFS research remains to be seen. Future studies will have to test it carefully.
For now, however, the research offers something valuable: another scientifically testable explanation for conditions that have remained difficult to understand.
And for people living with chronic pain and debilitating fatigue, continued research into the biology of their symptoms matters.
Because better understanding can ultimately lead to better questions, better treatments, and—hopefully—better lives.
Medical disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. People experiencing persistent pain, fatigue, post-exertional malaise, or other concerning symptoms should discuss them with a qualified healthcare professional.
