Seeking Medical Advice... When to do it??

Fibromyalgia can be very confusing and hard to get a diagnosis for. If you have been experiencing general aching or widespread pain for more than three(3) months that is also accompanied by fatigue you may want to bring this to the attention of your Doctor. The symptoms of fibromyalgia mimics other diseases such as low thyroid hormone production (hypothyroidism), polymyalgia rheumatica, neuropathies, lupus, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. All of which are worse than having Fibromyalgia.

Screening: What to expect...

For me the screening process started with my primary health care practitioner (otherwise known as my Family Doctor). Having a background in Massage Therapy gave me a bit of an advantage as I had studied fibromyalgia in school and also worked with several woman who suffered from it. I pretty much came out and told him that I wanted to be tested and to see a Rheumatologist in regards to fibromyalgia. But for those of you with little or no knowledge here is the process:

Assesment:

First talk to your Doctor about your pain and fatigue - ask their advice on what maybe causing it. You may have to go through several hoops before you get to the topic of fibromyalgia, but don't let them keep steering you away... I know that some Doctor's do not believe fibromyalgia is a true health issue. Be your own advocate, because unfortunately there maybe no one else.

Basic guidelines have been put in place to help with diagnosis, you must have experienced widespread aching pain for at least three months(anything over 3 months is considered chronic), pain must follow certian patterns:
- pain on both sides of the body
- pain above and below the waist
- pain along the length of the spine
and have a minimum of 11 of 18 specific locations on your body that are abnormally tender under relatively mild, to firm pressure. These points are:
- The left or right side of the back of the neck, directly below the hairline
- The left or right side of the front of the neck, above the collar bone (clavicle)
- The left or right side of the chest, right below the collar bone
- The left or right side of the upper back, near where the neck and shoulder join
- The left or right side of the spine in the upper back between the shoulder blades (scapula)
- The inside of either arm, where it bends at the elbow
- The left or right side of the lower back, right below the waist
- Either side of the buttocks below the hip bones
- Either knee cap


When tested these tender points have to occur on both sides of the body, in a fairly even pattern.

Once your family doctor has done this preliminary assessment and agrees that it may be fibromyalgia request to be referred to a Rheumatologist. As fibromyalgia is considered to be under rheumatoid conditions. The specialist will then order a variety of tests. There isn't a single, specific diagnostic laboratory test. In fact, before receiving a diagnosis of fibromyalgia, you may go through several medical tests, such as blood tests and X-rays, only to have the results come back normal. Although these tests may rule out other conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and multiple sclerosis it will not confirm fibromyalgia. A diagnosis of fibromylagia will be a combination of your normal results and the pressure point results.

For myself, I went through having X-rays, lots of blood taken and a bone scan all of which came back normal but including the fact that I had over 13 (that's when the Dr. stopped counting)out of 18 pressure points I recieved the diagnosis of fibromyalgia. Now my specialist put it as good news... because I didn't have any of the other diseases... he said "Well I have good news... you only have fibromyalgia."

Up next: Treatment options...