How Fibromyalgia Can be Diagnosed?

To receive an accurate fibromyalgia diagnosis takes the average person five years because the symptoms of fibromyalgia are similar with other conditions. Unfortunately there are no laboratory tests that can help to diagnose this enigmatic chronic condition.

If the pain it feels for three months in all four quadrants of the body means that fibromyalgia occured.Also for a fibromyalgia diagnosis must be at least 11 of 18 specific tender points.Sometimes fibromyalgia diagnosis can be confound to other diseases like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis.For an accurate fibromyalgia diagnosis doctor will analyze the characteristic features of the condition.

If exists any of the following associated symptoms: chronic headaches, sleep disorder, cognitive or memory impairment, jaw pain, fatigue, muscle pain, skin and chemical sensitivities, menstrual cramping, morning stiffness, numbness and tingling sensations, constipation and dizziness a fibromyalgia diagnosis may be given.A physician for given an accurate fibromyalgia diagnosis must know the patient symptoms and history and to do a physical examination and a manual tender point examination.

A tender point examination, which determines the presence of tender points on certain spots of the body and is based on the standardized ACR criteria is the most accurate fibromyalgia diagnosis.In the fibromyalgia diagnosis are used the 18 tender points which are localized around the shoulder, hip, elbow, knee and neck regions.Other 75 tender points have been identified but are not used to diagnose a fibromyalgia.

With electrophysiological studies of the nerves and muscles and imaging tests the physician will see if other diseases such as lupus, Lyme disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, viral infections and rheumatoid arthritis exist even though the patient have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia or other diseases. Through a physical examination of the skin, nails, spine, muscles, bones and joints doctor will rule out arthritis and thyroid disease before finalizing a fibromyalgia diagnosis.

The criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome are met at 50 to 70 percent of patients given a fibromyalgia diagnosis.Most people with chronic fatigue syndrome do not meet the criteria.Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome are two very different conditions but they seem similar.Tiredness is often met at people with chronic fatigue syndrome and pains are met to those with fibromyalgia diagnosis.Swollen glands, sore throat and fever can be found to people with chronic fatigue syndrome more than to people with a fibromyalgia diagnosis.

Fibromyalgia may or may not be the result of a virus but chronic fatigue syndrome is viral in origin.The pain felt in all four quadrants of the body for a minimum of three months and the tender points test used by an experienced physician may help to give a diagnose for fibromyalgia.Because the causes of this disease are unknown patients may have pains for more than three months or even three years before an accurate fibromyalgia diagnosis to be given.

It is better to know if the patient has or has not fibromyalgia because he may receive a good treatment for this disease.Having a fibromyalgia diagnosis gives many people a sense of relief because they know the problem and it's not all in their imaginations.

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Groshan Fabiola
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