Fibromyalgia is characterized by diffuse and overlapping symptoms that are sometimes quite difficult to diagnose. In 1990, the American College of Rheumatology developed a set of guidelines for classifying fibromyalgia.
There are two main criteria, which are:
* Widespread pain in both sides of the body, above and below the waist for a minimum of three months.
* Pain when pressure is applied in at least 11 of 18 specific tender points. These tender points are all over the body often occurring at muscle tendon junctions, where micro-injuries have occurred. Visit the National Fibromyalgia Association to see a map of where they are.
These initial criteria, however, are simply the starting point when a doctor is determining a diagnosis for fibromyalgia. A physician must also use clinical judgment to rule out other conditions and weigh symptoms (such as fatigue and insomnia) against other variables (such as pain in several tender points, but not enough to meet the criteria).
