Chapter 2 - Section C - Diagnosis

The American College of Rheumatology has established two criteria for the diagnosis of fibromyalgia:
~ Widespread pain lasting at least three months
~ At least 11 positive tender points — out of a total possible of 18

Tender points
During your physical exam, your doctor may check specific places on your body for tenderness. The amount of pressure used during this exam is usually just enough to whiten the doctor's fingernail bed. These 18 tender points are a hallmark for fibromyalgia.

Blood tests
While there is no lab test to confirm a diagnosis of fibromyalgia, your doctor may want to rule out other conditions that may have similar symptoms. Blood tests may include:
~ Complete blood count
~ Erythrocyte sedimentation rate
~ Thyroid function tests

An Excerpt from Mayo Clinic


What does this mean?
Basically there is no test that can say with anonymity that a person definitely has Fibromyalgia. When a doctor is given a case that they believe may be Fibromyalgia they begin a process of elimination. They will test for a number of illnesses that have similar symptoms to Fibromyalgia. This may seem a pointless endeavor, especially when they are pretty sure that you have Fibromyalgia, however it is possible for Fibromyalgia to coincide with many other disorders, diseases, and/or health problems. In fact, it is very rare for Fibromyalgia to be “alone.”

Some of the things your doctor may/will/should test for:
(They are listed alphabetically, not in order of possibilities, so don’t panic)
~ Cancer
~ Cervical and low-back degenerative disease
~ Chronic fatigue syndrome
~ Depression
~ HIV infection
~ Hypothyroidism
~ Irritable bowel syndrome
~ Lyme disease
~ Rheumatoid arthritis
~ Sleep disorders

Some of the tests your doctor may/will/should do:
~ EKG
~ X-Rays
~ MRI
~ Blood Tests