18 Point Fibromyalgia Test
But updated guidelines for 2010 did not require counting tender points in order to make a fibromyalgia diagnosis.
18 point fibromyalgia test. Fibromyalgia tender points are located in clusters around the neck chest. They have issued the following guidelines to doctors for diagnosing fibromyalgia. These tender points are quite small but a good doctor knows how to locate them. Doctors often check for certain tender points on the body when it comes to diagnosing fibromyalgia.
But fibromyalgia symptoms can come and go so a person might have 11 tender spots one day but only eight tender spots on another day. When a doctor tests tender points for pain she will also check other non tender places on your body called control points to make sure you don t react. Ibs sometimes coincides with fibromyalgia. Tender points are defined by the acr as 18 bilateral points on the body nine on one side and nine on the other where pain can be felt immediately beneath the skin when pressed.
These 18 points 9 pairs tend to be painful when pressed and may spread pain to other body. The 18 tender points associated with fibromyalgia occur in symmetrical pairs from the back of your head to your inner knees. In the past at least 11 of these 18 spots had to test positive for tenderness to diagnose fibromyalgia. The 18 tender points or trigger points used to diagnose fibromyalgia are scattered all over the body.
Pain must be experienced in at least 11 of the specified tender points when touched with a force of 9 pounds or less. See pictures explaining symptoms muscle pain fatigue tests causes and treatments in this webmd slideshow. The american college of rheumatology included counting tender points in their 1990 fibromyalgia diagnostic criteria establishing that 11 of the 18 tender points had to be present and cause pain for at least three months. The american college of rheumatology has charted 18 tender points.
These are not to be confused with trigger points which cause pain in another part of the body when pressed.