How is fibromyalgia diagnosed? Unlike some other conditions, fibromyalgia is not visible with X-rays or MRIs. It can’t be found in a biopsy or measured through blood or urine tests. Although fibromyalgia does come with symptoms, many of them are also common to other conditions. In some cases, the symptoms of fibromyalgia can occur simultaneously with other symptoms from other present conditions. All of this makes for a confusing scenario that makes it exceedingly difficult for doctors attempting to diagnose fibromyalgia.
What are the Obstacles to How is Fibromyalgia Diagnosed?
Even now, fibromyalgia is frequently diagnosed based solely on the subjective reports of the patient. Before 1980, there was not even a name for fibromyalgia. Patients who reported fibromyalgia symptoms were diagnosed as having everything from rheumatoid arthritis to depression.
In 1980, a group of doctors finally joined forces and did extensive research on two groups of patients. Their findings eventually formed the core foundation of the diagnostic criteria adopted by the American College of Rheumatology. The first obstacle to getting fibromyalgia diagnosed has been overcome, which was putting a name to it and recognizing it as being a specific physical condition.
Another set of obstacles to how is fibromyalgia diagnosed is the unpredictable behavior of the symptoms themselves. Patients with fibromyalgia know that one day they may have a multitude of symptoms, and the next they feel perfectly normal, with no symptoms at all. Imagine the frustration of trying to answer the physician’s questions about the frequency of symptoms and having to try to explain that there seems to be no rhyme or reason to their onset and disappearance. This “come and go” nature of the symptoms makes it frustrating and embarrassing for the patient, and challenging for the physician.
Yet one more challenge to how is fibromyalgia diagnosed is that the symptoms tend to inexplicably vary from one patient to the next. The symptoms and reactions to the symptoms tend to be purely subjective, depending on the patient. This makes it very difficult to come up with a basic list of symptoms and stages of fibromyalgia that patients and their doctors can base anything on. In addition, pre-existing underlying conditions—or what are sometimes called fibromyalgia imitators—can influence both the severity and presence of symptoms, making it hard to separate which symptoms might be related to fibromyalgia and which might be due to an entirely different condition.
What is the Diagnostic Process for Fibromyalgia?
Because of all these obstacles, the diagnosing of fibromyalgia can take a long time. Patients and doctors need to be patient, diligent and thorough during the diagnostic process. This will help to ensure, not only that the diagnosis is correct, but that the treatment is correct and will be effective.
The moment you first discuss your fibromyalgia symptoms with the doctor is when the diagnosing of fibromyalgia can begin. Because there are no specific tests that can pinpoint the presence of fibromyalgia, your careful reporting of symptoms is still going to be the primary way that your doctor makes your fibromyalgia diagnosis.
What Symptoms are Used to Diagnose Fibromyalgia?
The aforementioned guidelines set out in the American College of Rheumatology describes one of the criteria for fibromyalgia diagnosis as widespread pain throughout the body for a minimum of three months. Widespread pain is considered to be pain that occurs on both sides, above and below.
Another common symptom that is laid out in the American College of Rheumatology guidelines for diagnosing fibromyalgia is skin tenderness. Fibromyalgia sufferers often have heightened pain sensitivity all over their skin. One way that your doctor may test this is to press with his fingers, with varying degrees of pressure, over several different areas of your skin. It will be your job to try to report how much pain you might be experiencing as he performs this simple, non-invasive test in the doctor’s office. It’s easy to imagine how difficult is might be to attach a level of pain or sensitivity to a test that is so subjective.
What Tests are Used to Diagnose Fibromyalgia?
Although there is no one test that exclusively diagnoses for fibromyalgia, you should expect that your physician will want to do some tests on you. These tests will not only help to diagnose fibromyalgia, but they will assist your physician in ruling out other, similar conditions that may be the culprit for your fibromyalgia symptoms, such as an autoimmune disease, anemia or other. To understand how is fibromyalgia diagnosed, here are some of the tests that your physician may use include:
- Blood tests
- Urine tests
- Lyme disease test
- Thyroid disease test
- Sleep test
- Vitamin deficiency test
How to Ensure the Best Chances of a Correct Fibromyalgia Diagnosis
By now you’ve realized that how is fibromyalgia diagnosed is a long and sometimes arduous process undertaken between you and your physician. To ensure your best chances of a correct fibromyalgia diagnosis, you’ll want to choose your fibromyalgia physician carefully.
The physician should be someone with whom you have a respectful rapport. During your visit, you should feel that you are being listened to and trusted. You should never feel rushed or patronized while you are expressing yourself.
Understand that your physician may need to run seemingly non-related tests in order to rule out other conditions, including ones that might be psychological or neurological in nature. These tests will only help the doctor through their process of elimination to reach a definitive diagnosis faster.
Consider keeping a record of your symptoms to better enable recollection of timing and severity of symptoms when you are reporting to the doctor.
In many ways, you and your doctor are pioneers for future patients and physicians who need to deal with fibromyalgia. Understanding that how is fibromyalgia diagnosed is not an accurate science yet will help both of you to be patient and attentive to symptoms and reactions to treatment. Your progress will ultimately help those who suffer from fibromyalgia in the future to obtain a faster diagnosis.
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