Routine, why do you poke at me all the time??

Fibromyalgia Tender Points

Routine lab tests do not detect the widespread pain of fibromyalgia. Instead, the diagnosis is made by a physical exam of pressure points that takes about five minutes. When pressure is applied to the surface of the muscles throughout the body, patients with fibromyalgia find this painful, especially at the specific tender point areas used for diagnosis.

To meet the fibromyalgia criteria for diagnosis, patients must have:

A. Widespread pain in all four quadrants of the body for a minimum of three months

B. At least 11 of the 18 specified tender points (see diagram2)

The 18 sites used for the fibromyalgia diagnosis cluster around the neck, shoulder, chest, hip, knee, and elbow regions. The finger pressure that your doctor must apply to these areas during an exam is just enough to cause the nail bed to blanch or become white.