How is Fibromyalgia diagnosed?

Name: How is Fibromyalgia diagnosed?
Creator: DiseaseMaps Editorial Team
Published: 2015-06-10UTC14:44:24.0000000

How Fibromyalgia is diagnosed: tests, specialists and the diagnostic journey, told by patients and reviewed against medical sources.

Fibromyalgia is primarily a clinical diagnosis made by ruling out other conditions through a thorough physical examination, a detailed patient history, and the absence of laboratory or imaging abnormalities that would explain the symptoms.

The Diagnostic Process

There is no single "gold standard" blood test or scan for Fibromyalgia. Because the condition is a disorder of pain processing in the central nervous system, diagnostic testing is used primarily to exclude other inflammatory, autoimmune, or endocrine disorders. Clinicians typically rely on the 2016 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria, which evaluate the Widespread Pain Index (WPI) and the Symptom Severity (SS) scale, focusing on pain duration, fatigue, cognitive difficulties, and somatic symptoms.

The Diagnostic Odyssey

It is common for those living with Fibromyalgia to experience a "diagnostic odyssey," where patients may visit multiple specialists and undergo years of testing before receiving an accurate diagnosis. This delay is often due to the invisible nature of the symptoms and the fact that routine labs—such as inflammation markers like CRP or ESR—frequently return normal. This can lead to significant emotional distress and feelings of being dismissed by the medical community.

Specialists and Differential Diagnosis

Diagnosis is usually managed by a rheumatologist, though neurologists or pain management specialists are also frequently involved. Because Fibromyalgia mimics many other conditions, it is crucial to perform a differential diagnosis to rule out systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, polymyalgia rheumatica, and hypothyroidism. If your primary care provider is unfamiliar with current diagnostic criteria for Fibromyalgia, seeking a specialist who focuses on centralized pain syndromes is essential to ensure you are not misdiagnosed or unnecessarily tested for conditions you do not have.

Medical Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

References

NIH Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center (GARD): Fibromyalgia

American College of Rheumatology (ACR): Fibromyalgia Diagnostic Criteria

Orphanet: Fibromyalgia

Author: DiseaseMaps Editorial Team

Reviewed against authoritative medical sources (NIH GARD, Orphanet, OMIM)

Last updated: 2026-04-06

Sources cited: NIH Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center (GARD): Fibromyalgia · American College of Rheumatology (ACR): Fibromyalgia Diagnostic Criteria · Orphanet: Fibromyalgia · WHO

Medical disclaimer: This information does not substitute professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor before making health decisions.

Source: DiseaseMaps.org

Posted Feb 28, 2017 by fathimath 1030

"Trigger Point" test
Diagnosis of exclusion

Posted Mar 24, 2017 by Kerry 1000

Depends on the person. Most start with their primary care physician. If that doesn't work, try going to a rheumatologist (that's who I was diagnosed by). If that doesn't work, try a rehabilitative/sports medicine type doctor or pain management clinic with experience in treating fibro patients.

Posted Jun 24, 2017 by Tiffiane 4151

There are no blood test for fibro p, your rhumatology is usualy the one to diagnose you, usualy on your history and pain points in your body , there does need to be definitive testing but with symptoms different in each person then that is kind of hard

Posted Sep 8, 2017 by Sarah 2500

My symptomology was assessed based on pain sites as well as extensive testing to rule out other option and a close look at full symptoms. I sought the assistance of both a Neurologist and Rheumatologist. The use of x-rays, CAT scans and pressure tests.

Posted Oct 20, 2017 by Rebecka 1150

There is no specific test for fibro. Its a series of excluding other illnesses.

Your GP will arrange for you to see a Rheumatologist who will test you. If you have more than 11 tender points, widespread pain for 4months or more plus a whole host of other diagnoses he will diagnose you with Fibromyalgia.

Just having a name for what is going can be so empowering in itsself.

Posted Mar 16, 2018 by Hazel 800

Fibromyalgia is usually diagnosed by a rheumatologist and sometimes from neurologists. They usually will take a medical history and then perform a trigger point exam. If you have I believe it is 11 of 19 trigger points that qualifies you to be diagnosed with fibromyalgia.

Posted Jun 3, 2018 by Fibrogirl96 3000

A rheumatologist should be consulted. I have found that many GP's either don't understand the condition or don't believe your complaints.

Posted Sep 24, 2018 by 6000

By a doctor, difficult to get someone to diagnose you

Posted Jul 23, 2021 by Katie 900

Doctors must first rule out all the other neurological diseases. There is no test specifically for fibromyalgia. There is a test for inflammation markers but a lot of diseases have inflammation markers.

Posted Jul 22, 2023 by Impatientgirl 3000

Translated from spanish Improve translation

In realudad is "discarding" other autoimmune diseases
And finally the reumatologo review the 18 points of pain

Posted Feb 20, 2017 by Cristina 1051

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by default, when the scan does not find anything abnormal and with the help of a reumatologo.

Posted Feb 20, 2017 by claudiae.davilach 942

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The necessary to diagnose diseases q may have similar symptoms, lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Ankylosing spondylitis, rheumatic diseases and autoimmune

Posted Mar 24, 2017 by 1000

Translated from portuguese Improve translation

Diagnosis if of the by clinical examination by a Rheumatologist or doctor who specializes in chronic pain, through examinations of the exclusion of other pathologies in which there is similar symptoms, and anamnesis history of the patient on the reports of other symptoms associated with persistent pain for more than three months uninterrupted.

Posted Apr 12, 2017 by Ana Claudia Mariotto 2351

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There is no specific test to diagnose fibromyalgia, only the clinical examination the same ,the laboratory tests are to rule out other things. People always point a rheumatologist more in my opinion any doctor that has knowledge about the fibromyalgia can give the diagnosis.

Posted Apr 13, 2017 by Elem 1000

Translated from portuguese Improve translation

Tests for exclusion of other diseases through the Questionnaire FiQ, pressure on the 18 tender points located on both sides of the body, and have at least 11 of these points to be sensitive, anamnesis.
It is the meeting of these that make up the diagnosis.

Posted Apr 17, 2017 by ABRAFIBRO - ASSOC BRAS DOS FIBROMIÁLGICOS 1190

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Tests do not diagnose the disease. Is linked to the emotional trauma.

Posted May 9, 2017 by Roberta 1000

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of course, that the physician is derisory question

Posted Jul 2, 2017 by isabel suazo 2436

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Tests physical very painful for discard where they determine the degree of severity of the disease are diesciocho points in the entire body, in my case I have them all .

Posted Sep 2, 2017 by Norma 840

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1.-BY HAVING GENERAL PAIN FOR MORE THAN 6 MONTHS
2.-THERE ARE NO LABORATORY TESTS
3.-REUMATOLOGO

Posted Sep 8, 2017 by Aurora 2500

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Fibromyalgia., you can not diagnose with any test, only by ruling out other diseases, it comes to this

Posted Sep 12, 2017 by Soledad 2000

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Good, reported some of the symptoms to the expert, in the my is the rheumatologist, ñ there is still, examination that diagnose the disease, we do exams, because to search for any things possible diseases,according to the possession of the result ñ there is nothing, then the diagnosis of fibromyalgia.

Posted Sep 16, 2017 by Phoenix 1000

Translated from french Improve translation

For the moment there is no test for fibromyalgia and it is a diagnosis that is given after passing a number of tests as possible so that there is no other disease and that the pain and fatigue petsistent. A genetic test could eventually allow a diagnosis to a rapid... and I suggest you to not wait until you have the diagnosis for you to enroll in a clinical chronic pain as the diagnosis may take two years and then two years for the waiting list at the pain clinic! If you have the symptoms I would recommend that you immediately request to be put on the list... This will save a precious time!

Posted Sep 30, 2017 by Marie Hélène Champoux 2550

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A strength of the reviews that came back negative and according to the point of pain

Posted Oct 20, 2017 by Nanie 600