How is fibromyalgia diagnosed?
Unfortunately, there are no specific tests for fibromyalgia, and the diagnosis is achieved by excluding other known conditions that present similarly. This may require months of lab tests and imaging studies before a final diagnosis is reached, which adds to the patient’s uncomfortable lifestyle.
Your doctor will listen to your complaints and may ask you a few questions to exclude other conditions associated with arthritis or mental problems. Then, they will perform a physical examination which includes examining each tender joint for the site of pain and localizing the sites of your discomfort. This is usually followed by ordering a number of investigations including laboratory tests and, sometimes, imaging studies. Recently and to speed up diagnosis, a questionnaire has been developed that quickly screens for symptoms suggestive of fibromyalgia, but it is not in practice in many centers and many doctors may not agree that such questionnaire is enough to exclude all other conditions. It can still help exclude many disorders without the need for more testing.