According to the National Fibromyalgia Association, Fibromyalgia affects an estimated 10 million people in the U.S. and an estimated 3-6% of the world population (source; NFA).
That is an enormous % of the population, but wait……
According to The Rheumatologist (the official publication of the American College of Rheumatology-the medical discipline for Fibromyalgia)…..close to 75% of patients who have received a clinical fibromyalgia diagnosis do not meet the 2010 Preliminary American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Criteria for Fibromyalgia. They say these patients are false-positive and may be taking treatments they don’t need (source; The Rheumatologist)
The Rheumatologist goes on to explain, in brief, the Fibromyalgia Clinical Criteria is not being used (as required) to diagnose Fibromyalgia. Furthermore, many patients are obese and/or smoke which creates symptoms that “mimic” Fibromyalgia.
My point for noting this significant discrepancy is for patients to refrain from “self-diagnosing” Fibromyalgia and to be sure they are properly diagnosed by a qualified doctor.
Diagnosing Fibromyalgia is challenging to say the least….for today
In the not-so-distant-future; a groundbreaking 100 % accurate/reliable blood test will detect fibromyalgia.
New research finds an accurate way of diagnosing fibromyalgia and differentiating it from other related conditions. Using blood samples and innovative techniques, scientists have detected a “molecular fingerprint” that is unique to the condition.
Being developed by researchers at Ohio State University, it’s expected to be ready to be put-into-play within 5 years.
Click on the following link to learn more:
Fibromyalgia Blood Test
The Ohio State University Fibromyalgia Blood Test is not the first Fibromyalgia blood test to be developed. Two other diagnostic tests are currently available:
- In 2012, EpicGenetics introduced the FM/a® Test, an FDA-compliant blood test based on identifying the unique immunologic patterns in fibromyalgia. It is 95% accurate and is covered by Medicare and most insurance plans.
- In 2018, IQuity introduced the IsolateFibromyalgia® test, which relies on RNA gene expression to identify fibromyalgia. It is 94% accurate but is not yet covered my most insurance plans.
Even though there are already two blood tests for Fibromyalgia on the market, some doctors remain skeptical of their accuracy (source; prohealth).
Today, Fibromyalgia can’t be easily confirmed or ruled out through a simple laboratory test. Your doctor can’t detect it in your blood or see it on an X-ray. Instead, fibromyalgia appears to be linked to changes in how the brain and spinal cord process pain signals.
Because there is no definitive 100% accurate test for diagnosing fibromyalgia, your doctor must rely solely on your group of symptoms to make a diagnosis.
In the American College of Rheumatology guidelines for diagnosing fibromyalgia, one of the criteria is widespread pain throughout your body for at least three months. “Widespread” is defined as pain on both sides of your body, as well as above and below your waist.
Old guidelines required tender points……
Fibromyalgia is also often characterized by additional pain when firm pressure is applied to specific areas of your body, called tender points. In the past, at least 11 of these 18 spots had to test positive for tenderness to diagnose fibromyalgia.
But fibromyalgia symptoms can come and go, so a person might have 11 tender spots one day but only eight tender spots on another day. And many family doctors were uncertain about how much pressure to apply during a tender point exam. While specialists or researchers may still use tender points, an alternative set of guidelines has been developed for doctors to use in general practice.
These newer diagnostic criteria include:
- Widespread pain lasting at least three months
- Presence of other symptoms such as fatigue, waking up tired and trouble thinking
- No other underlying condition that might be causing the symptoms
Below is the Clinical Diagnostic Criteria that must be used by the doctor to diagnose Fibromyalgia (source; memorialhermann):
If you feel you meet the aforementioned Fibromyalgia Criteria, then please seek out a qualified doctor to help you correctly diagnose and manage your Fibromyalgia.
What are Fibromyalgia treatment options?? Click on mypainweb’s Fibromyalgia Treatment Options under Painweb Help to learn more…..
