Where is fibromyalgia pain located? It’s a question you’re likely to ask if you think you might have fibromyalgia. Maybe you have a mysterious pain that you are worried might be fibromyalgia. Or maybe you are just curious about the symptoms of fibromyalgia.
Well, fibromyalgia pain can feel like it’s attacking your entire body. But the truth is that if you have fibromyalgia pain, it’s located in some very specific places on your body.
So where is fibromyalgia pain located? Let’s find out. And talk about some of the other symptoms you might experience if you have fibromyalgia so you’ll have a better idea about whether you have it or not.
Where Is Fibromyalgia Pain Located?
If you’re asking, “Where is fibromyalgia pain located?” the answer is that fibromyalgia pain is located in a few particular parts of the body. While people with fibromyalgia may say that “it hurts all over,” the truth is that the pain in fibromyalgia is so specific in terms of where it’s located that doctors use the location of the pain to diagnose the condition.
The pain from fibromyalgia is focused on both sides of the body along 9 points for a total of 18. These points are:
- The knees. The outside of the knee is a fibromyalgia tender point. The pain is located above the joint and will feel worse if pressed on with your thumb.
- The collar bone. Just above the top of your ribcage is your collar bone. If you feel along there you’ll notice a bone going horizontally along the front of your shoulders. That’s what you’re looking for. And if you have fibromyalgia, you’ll also notice there is a pair of tender points located on each side of your neck there.
- The lower back. The lower back is another source of tender points. You should be able to feel them if you place pressure on each side of your spine and run your hands down towards your buttocks.
- The base of the skull. And in the other direction, you should find two tender points just around where your skull and your neck meet. The pain should be located on each side of your neck.
- The shoulder blades. There is a large flat bone in your back just behind where your arms meet your body. This is the shoulder blade. And both of your shoulder blades should have tender points if you have fibromyalgia.
- The hips. Another fibromyalgia tender point is on the outside your hips. This will be closer to your buttocks than the front of your body and is located on both sides.
- The elbows. Each of your elbows is a fibromyalgia tender point. The pain should be located above the joint.
- Just above the buttocks. The point where your back meets your buttocks is another point. The pain should be just below the pelvis and on both sides of your body.
- The front of the neck. The front of your neck is a fibromyalgia tender point. Reach up and feel both sides of your neck to see if you have pain. It should be just below the chin.
If you have pain in these locations there’s a good chance you’ve just discovered for yourself the answer to the question “where is fibromyalgia pain located?”
But there are also a few other symptoms you should consider before you go diagnosing yourself with fibromyalgia.
Some Other Fibromyalgia Symptoms
See, the pain of fibromyalgia isn’t enough to give a good diagnosis. There are a number of other conditions that can create this kind of widespread pain in your body. So your doctor will look for some of these other symptoms:
- Fatigue. One of the most noticeable symptoms of fibromyalgia is the fatigue. People with fibromyalgia often find that they are tired no matter how much sleep they get. This is a tough symptom to live with, and combined with the pain in tender points is a good sign that you have fibro.
- Mental Fog. Another symptom of fibromyalgia is difficulty focusing. This is often called “fibro fog,” and it’s a pretty common symptom. Usually, it manifests itself as cloudy thinking or trouble remembering simple details like the name of someone you just met.
If you have these symptoms in addition to the pain in those specific points, there is a good chance you might have fibromyalgia. It’s best to see a doctor as soon as possible. They should be able to give you a diagnosis of fibromyalgia or at least rule it out. The important thing when it comes to fibromyalgia is to start managing it as soon as possible so that you have time to hopefully find a treatment that works for you. And remember to seek out support after a fibromyalgia diagnosis. You don’t want to deal with this alone.
Let us know, where is fibromyalgia pain located for you? Tell us in the comments.
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