Get the Facts on Fibromyalgia Diagnosis

Fibromyalgia diagnosis seems difficult to carry out. This is because it is featured by appalling pain that similar to many other diseases. Moreover, there is no examination can verify it. All the laboratory assessments results in negative although the pain initially point to rheumatic joints or arthritis. So, can’t we make fibromyalgia diagnosis?

Fibromyalgia diagnosis is certainly made only when a complete battery of tests that turns aside all other possibilities is negative. This method is frustrating enough without mentioning very costly.

Two Methods That Confirm Fibromyalgia Diagnosis

As mentioned before in most cases fibromyalgia diagnosis is reached at by ruling out all other possibilities. Besides this exclusion method, you have two more processes that would substantiate the result.

Personal Medical History

Investigation of your own medical history has been the first method than can help you. The doctor would check out into your past to get an outline of your psychological profile that would identify fibromyalgia. These would include symptoms such as lack of concentration, muscle weakness, acute body ache for no apparent reason, excessive fatigue, skin rashes, any injuries and medication taken during the past one year, and so on. Such details would help the doctor verify the fibromyalgia diagnosis.

Physical Assessment

The second process that normally supports the first method is the physical examination. Given the fact that your tests have come out negative the doctor would examine your whole body looking for the 10 to 20 tender spots that so much characterize this disease.

These tender spots would look and behave as fresh bruises but unlike bruises there would be no history of getting hurt in those spots. These places would be extremely painful to touch though they show no untoward signs of inflammation or infection that would justify the pain. These tender spots tend to shift over time.

Since the fibromyalgia diagnosis needs to exclude all other possibilities the physical assessment would also look for signs of thyroid problem, arthritis, rheumatism, etc. so in the end there would be no hesitation about the fact that the pain you are suffering from is due fibromyalgia.

The Plan of Action after the Fibromyalgia Diagnosis

You need to focus on how to reduce the pain effectively as soon as you’ve conducted the fibromyalgia diagnosis. There is medication available to help you reduce pain, manage depression, improve your mobility and sleep better. Moreover, you have to do regular and specifically modified exercises. This would help you manage the distressing pain as well as advance your capability to move freely and fight depression effectively. If you need more information, please explore links on this Fibromyalgia Consultant site.