Fibromyalgia Diagnosis

Fibromyalgia can be difficult to diagnose, as many of the symptoms are similar to other disorders. Your doctor will do a complete physical exam, discuss your symptoms, and then check for “tender (trigger) points", areas of pain throughout your body, to confirm the diagnosis. Symptoms of chronic and widespread pain must be present for over three months before a doctor can make a diagnosis of fibromyalgia.

Testing for Tender (“Trigger”) Points -According to criteria established by the American College of Rheumatology, there are 18 specific tender (or pressure) points around the body that are potentially painful when palpated in people with fibromyalgia. Most healthy people have only three tender points. These points are located around the neck, shoulder, chest, hip, knee, and elbow regions.

A diagnosis of fibromyalgia is usually made if 11 of these 18 points result in pain when palpated.

Blood Tests -Although blood tests cannot identify fibromyalgia, your doctor may order these tests to rule out other illnesses that exhibit similar symptoms, such as Systemic Lupus Erythematosus , Lyme Disease , Rheumatoid Arthritis , and other musculoskeletal disorders.