Doctors no longer require examining 18 tender points to diagnose fibromyalgia, but instead rely on a patient reporting widespread pain for over 3 months without an underlying medical cause. While there is no lab test for fibromyalgia, blood tests such as a complete blood count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and thyroid function tests may be used to rule out other conditions with similar symptoms.
Doctors no longer require examining 18 tender points to diagnose fibromyalgia, but instead rely on a patient reporting widespread pain for over 3 months without an underlying medical cause. While there is no lab test for fibromyalgia, blood tests such as a complete blood count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and thyroid function tests may be used to rule out other conditions with similar symptoms.
Doctors no longer require examining 18 tender points to diagnose fibromyalgia, but instead rely on a patient reporting widespread pain for over 3 months without an underlying medical cause. While there is no lab test for fibromyalgia, blood tests such as a complete blood count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and thyroid function tests may be used to rule out other conditions with similar symptoms.
Pain Management Advisor Subscribe to our Pain Management Advisor e-newsletter for tips to manage pain. Sign up now In the past, doctors would check 18 specific points on a person's body to see how many of them were painful when pressed firmly. Newer guidelines don't require a tender point exam. Instead, a fibromyalgia diagnosis can be made if a person has had widespread pain for more than three months with no underlying medical condition that could cause the pain. Blood tests While there is no lab test to confirm a diagnosis of fibromyalgia, your doctor may want to rule out other conditions that may have similar symptoms. Blood tests may include: Complete blood count Erythrocyte sedimentation rate Thyroid function tests