Facts to Know about Fibromyalgia Tender Points
Diagnosing fibromyalgia can be a daunting task sometimes. In most of the cases, doctors put their emphasis on finding the possibilities of other illnesses despite of fibromyalgia. However, many doctors today primarily focus on diagnosing 18 fibromyalgia tender points to confirm their findings. To be very precise, the final diagnosis is made by analyzing these 18 fibromyalgia tender points without any exception. Quite contrary to other invasive testing procedures, examining fibromyalgia tender points is comparatively easy and less time consuming.
Tender points can be identified as some local skeletal spots that when compressed by doctors give an extreme sense of pain sensation. At the time of diagnosis, doctors compress these 18 fibromyalgia tender points in order to confirm the occurrence of the disease. In order to be diagnosed, an individual must experience 11 out of 18 tender points. The sensation of pain must be widespread with duration of at least three months.
The Difference with Trigger Points
During your diagnosis of fibromyalgia tender points, you may have frequently heard of fibromyalgia trigger points. Fibromyalgia tender points and trigger points are not same. The major difference between fibromyalgia tender points and trigger points is that trigger points are not static like tender points, rather they are floating and can be found anywhere in the body. They do not have any fixed location similar to the tender points. In addition, trigger points may cause pain in some other areas of the body.
The Critical Aspect of Diagnosis
At the time of diagnosing the symptoms of fibromyalgia tender points, doctors extensively ask about medical history along with comprehensive examination. Since the symptoms of fibromyalgia are quite similar to some other illnesses, sometimes it turns out a really difficult task to diagnose fibromyalgia separately. In such cases, doctors may ask for a blood test or MRI. Technically the diagnosis is done by an experienced rheumatologist who creates point pressure on fibromyalgia tender points to confirm the condition.
The Criterion of Diagnosis
As explained in the statement criteria of American College of Rheumatology, the diagnosis of fibromyalgia is confirmed if the patients show widespread pain in at least 11 out of 18 fibromyalgia tender points with the duration of three months. The pain must be found in both of the sides of the body and both above and low parts of the body. Lower back, cervical spine, anterior chest and thoracic spine are the mostly focused zones. Each of these 18 fibromyalgia tender points needs to be examined in order to rule out the possibility of other illnesses.
