What We Know About Lady Gaga's Health Issues

Lady Gaga smashed onto the scene with explosive chart-toppers like "Poker Face," her unapologetically progressive stances on key political issues, and inimitable, outlandish Gaga style. Then, as her stardom skyrocketed, the cracks began to show, suggesting that the woman born Stefani Germanotta was grappling with much more than she let on. In 2018, Gaga was sadly forced to cut her "Joanne" world tour short due to the debilitating effects of fibromyalgia, a condition that remains relatively unknown to many. Beneath the glitzy surface, the "Applause" could no longer drown out her suffering.

Fibromyalgia is a chronic illness that causes intense musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, and tenderness. According to the Mayo Clinic, it "amplifies painful sensations by affecting the way your brain and spinal cord process painful and nonpainful signals." Or, as Gaga herself explained during a 2020 interview with Oprah Winfrey, it "makes your body hurt through your brain." Likewise, the pop icon added, "There's also an immunity aspect," to it (via YouTube). It's known to develop gradually after prolonged periods of psychological trauma and severe stress, but fibromyalgia can also notably be provoked by a singular event. 

In Gaga's case, she's been open about her PTSD and experience as a young survivor of sexual assault, and she told fans in her film, "Lady Gaga: Five Foot Two," that the trigger was a hip injury she sustained in 2013. The documentary makes for uncomfortable viewing in parts since it cuts to shocking scenes of her lying down, crying in excruciating pain, and receiving injections from doctors all as part of her ongoing treatment.

With no cure for fibromyalgia, Lady Gaga had to find ways to manage the pain while continuing to live a full life and follow her demanding career. Elsewhere in her conversation with Oprah Winfrey, the Oscar winner spoke about embracing the power of radical acceptance by "accepting that I'm gonna feel awful all the time, I'm gonna be in head-to-toe pain constantly." Detailing her newfound health regimen, the "Just Dance" hitmaker informed the the talk show legend that she was taking potent painkillers and antipsychotics, and pursuing talking therapy. In true Gaga fashion, the iconic pop star also used her art to take matters into her own hands. 

Released before any public confirmation of the singer's condition, her deeply personal album "Joanne" marked a major creative departure for Gaga, chronicling various personal struggles using country-style music. Its stripped-back nature left many feeling like it was "closer to the real Stefani Germanotta" as The Guardian put in their review. But if the minimalism of "Joanne" was a raw admission of her pain, the album that followed Gaga's diagnosis, "Chromatica," was an intrepid and defiant reclamation of it. 

Speaking to Zane Lowe about the experimental 2020 record, she proudly shared that it symbolizes "the beginning of my journey to healing and what I would hope would be an inspiration for people that are in need of healing — through happiness, through dance," (via YouTube). As the album itself professes, to paraphrase the prolific songwriter, this is the dancefloor she fought for, and fans have loved watching her keep the rhythm alive.