• Fibromyalgia - Diagnosis
• Highlights
• Introduction
• Causes
• Risk Factors
• Conditions with Similar Symptoms
• Prognosis

Diagnosis

There is no obvious, objective method (such as laboratory or imaging tests) for diagnosing fibromyalgia. The criteria used to study fibromyalgia are very helpful, particularly if the patient does not have another disorder, such as depression or arthritis, which could complicate the diagnosis. Failure to meet the criteria, however, does not rule out fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia should be suspected in any person who has muscle and joint pain with no identifiable cause.

Because many patients...