How to Recognize Fibromyalgia Symptoms

Chronic Pain?

Fibromyalgia symptoms have been difficult to identify and recognize due to the varied nature of the symptoms and the common connection with psychological disorders or depression. However, since the syndrome was recognized as an actual physical syndrome separate from psychological affects, doctors have become much more aware and capable of recognizing fibromyalgia symptoms. You can speed up the process however by checking your own symptoms against fibromyalgia symptoms below and discussing them with your physician.

Instructions

1. Look for chronic pain over large portions of your body.

   The general rule of thumb is that the chronic pain needs to have lasted for more than three months. Chronic pain for fibromyalgia symptoms also needs to affect more than one fourth of your body. So if it only affects your right arm some other condition is likely to be present. If it affects your right arm, your back, and your left leg fibromyalgia is a possibility.

2. Notice muscle and joint pain or stiffness.

   Thought connected with step one, this may be overlooked if this fibroymalgia symptom does not seem to the patient to fall into the category of chronic pain. However, if you have unexplained stiffness in your muscle and joints this adds to the likelihood of fibromyalgia.

3. Pay attention to chronic fatigue.

   If you are consistently tired in unexplainable ways it may be one of the fibromyalgia symptoms. As with the other symptoms of fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue alone could be a symptom of many other conditions. It is likely that you will have to be tested for those conditions before ruling them out and receiving a diagnosis of fibromyalgia.

4. 

   Watch for chronic pain in the known tender points for fibromyalgia.

   These tender points include the back of your neck at the base of the skull on either side of the spine, in the middle of either side of your upper back (trapesius), upper right quadrants of your buttocks, outer back edges of the upper portion of your thighs, neckline just above the collar bones, second rib on either side, forearm just below the inner elbow, and the inside portion of your knees. These points of pain are typical fibromyalgia symptoms and the higher the number of these points that exhibit chronic pain the more likely it is you have fibromyalgia.

   * See tips below for secondary fibromyalgia symptoms.

Tips & Warnings

• Also take note of depression or restless sleep as a possible fibromyalgia symptom.

• Take note of chronic tension or migraine headaches.

• TMJ or jaw pain/jaw popping is often associated with fibromyalgia symptoms.

• Irritable bowel syndrome or cycling bouts between constipation and diarrhea can occur.

• See related articles on this page for more health information and diagnosis assistance.