There are no lab tests that can diagnose fibromyalgia. However, because many other conditions have symptoms similar to those or fibromyalgia, your doctor may order tests to rule out other causes of your symptoms.
Diagnosing fibromyalgia can be difficult as there's no specific test to diagnose the condition. The symptoms of fibromyalgia can also vary from person to person and are similar to those of several other conditions. The GP will ask you how your symptoms are affecting your daily life.
Doctors do not use lab tests to diagnose fibromyalgia . The results of lab tests done on people with fibromyalgia should be normal unless another condition is present. You may have lab tests to rule out other diseases or to find out whether you have another disease in addition to fibromyalgia.
There are no blood tests, x-rays or scans that can test for fibromyalgia. Your doctor or rheumatologist (arthritis specialist) will look for a number of features that are typical of fibromyalgia to diagnose the condition.
Results: We found significantly higher CRP levels, MPV, and PLR and lower lymphocyte count in the FMS group compared to the control group. Conclusions: FMS has certain inflammatory components that may be useful in disease diagnosis.
Highlights. CFS/ME and Fibromyalgia share common features of inflammation. C-reactive protein (CRP) is elevated in CFS/ME and Fibromyalgia. CRP remains high in CFS/ME and Fibromyalgia after controlling for age and BMI.
Fibromyalgia often co-occurs with other types of arthritis such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and ankylosing spondylitis.
While MS and fibro may have some symptoms in common, they are ultimately distinct conditions with very different causes and treatments. Fibromyalgia and multiple sclerosis are both chronic diseases with no cure. Fibromyalgia and multiple sclerosis can both cause some of the same symptoms.
Fibromyalgia Might Be an Autoimmune Disorder, A New Study Says. Fibromyalgia, a chronic pain condition commonly thought to originate in the brain, might actually be a disorder of the immune system, according to a new study.
Fibromyalgia is often triggered by an event that causes physical stress or emotional (psychological) stress. Possible triggers include: a serious injury, such as after a car accident.
People suspected of having fibromyalgia may have blood tests and x-rays to look for other possible causes of the muscle and bone pain. A doctor may diagnose fibromyalgia when they think that the pattern of pain and tiredness fits the condition and doesn't fit other conditions.
However, because fibromyalgia can cause chronic pain and fatigue similar to arthritis, some people may advise you to see a rheumatologist. As a result, often a rheumatologist detects this disease (and rules out rheumatic diseases).
Fibromyalgia can be associated with ocular symptoms (foreign body sensation, irritation) and visual disturbances (blurred vision), coexisting with dry eye syndrome and reduced corneal sensitivity. Cases of scleritis, including the necrotizing form, accompanying fibromyalgia have been reported.
Fibromyalgia is one of a group of chronic pain disorders that affect connective tissues, including the muscles, ligaments (the tough bands of tissue that bind together the ends of bones), and tendons (which attach muscles to bones).
Jaw and facial pain
It's possible for fibromyalgia to be linked to pain in the muscles of the jaw and face (temporomandibular joint disorder) or to myofascial (skeletal muscle) pain in one part of the body. Such occurrences could be considered forms of regional or localized or incomplete fibromyalgia.
Fibromyalgia was formerly classified as an inflammatory musculoskeletal disease but is now considered to be an illness that primarily affects the central nervous system.
Certain infections including hepatitis C virus, HIV and Lyme disease have been temporally associated with the development of FMS. There is some evidence for the possible role of vaccinations in triggering the development of FMS and related syndromes, however this association remains to be established.
The main symptoms of fibromyalgia are: Chronic, widespread pain throughout the body or at multiple sites. Pain is often felt in the arms, legs, head, chest, abdomen, back, and buttocks. People often describe it as aching, burning, or throbbing.
The unifying and most common symptom of fibromyalgia from person to person is chronic pain without cause throughout your body. The pain can range from a dull, burning ache to a sharp pain, and it can move to different parts of your body. The pain may be seemingly innate, or it may be caused by even gentle touches.
Rheumatoid arthritis causes visible damage to joints. Fibromyalgia does not. Rheumatoid arthritis also gets progressively worse, causing swelling and sometimes deformities. The pain from fibromyalgia is more widespread, while rheumatoid arthritis is concentrated initially to hands, wrists, knees and balls of the feet.
DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATION
After the three primary manifestations (fatigue, stiffness, and sleep abnormalities), the most common symptoms are headaches (usually migraine), dry mouth, low back pain, and paresthesias (Table 1) [1,3,27,31,32,33,34].
Heat, especially moist heat, may relieve soreness and stiffness from fibromyalgia by boosting blood flow to the places where you hurt. Apply a warm, moist washcloth to the painful area or try taking a shower or soaking in a bath. You also can reduce the deep muscle pain of fibromyalgia with a cold pack.
Rheumatologists are internists who specialize in treating arthritis and diseases of the joints, muscles, and soft tissues. Rheumatologists, arguably more than any other physician, closely follow fibromyalgia developments and will likely have the best knowledge base on the condition.