18 Point Fibromyalgia Test

Tender points are found on the neck shoulder blades lower back elbows buttocks knees and other areas.

18 point fibromyalgia test. Diagnosing fibromyalgia with tender points there are 18 tender points throughout the body each about the size of a penny. 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. These are not to be confused with trigger points which cause pain in another part of the body when pressed. These tender points are quite small but a good doctor knows how to locate them.

They have issued the following guidelines to doctors for diagnosing fibromyalgia. Doctors often check for certain tender points on the body when it comes to diagnosing fibromyalgia. See pictures explaining symptoms muscle pain fatigue tests causes and treatments in this webmd slideshow. 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.

The american college of rheumatology has charted 18 tender points. Ibs sometimes coincides with fibromyalgia. But updated guidelines for 2010 did not require counting tender points in order to make a fibromyalgia diagnosis. 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. Fibromyalgia tender points are located in clusters around the neck chest. 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.

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.