5 Myths About Fibromyalgia

Myth #3 – Fibromyalgia is only diagnosed if the doctor can’t find a “real” diagnosis

In reality, diagnosing someone with fibromyalgia is more subjective than many other illnesses because there isn’t a simple blood test or x-ray that can confirm it.

However, fibromyalgia has its own specific diagnosis guidelines developed in 1990 by the American College of Rheumatology. These include having a history of widespread pain lasting longer than three months and having a minimum number of specific tender points.

The symptoms of fibromyalgia do overlap with other illnesses and people are often diagnosed with other conditions in addition to fibromyalgia.