Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain disorder often causing muscle, tendon, and joint pain, in addition to fatigue. However, it is not very easy to diagnose some one who can be suffered from Fibromyalgia if just basing on patient’s description such as “My whole body is painful”.
If you are are at risk and can be diagnosed, doctors would check for certain tender points on the body including 18 points (9 pairs) tend to be painful when pressed, and may spread pain to other body parts.
1. Back of neck
If you have fibromyalgia, you may have tender points at the back of the neck, where the base of the skull and the neck meet.
2. Elbows
Fibromyalgia patients may also feel tenderness on their forearms, near the crease of each elbow. The pain tends to be below the crease and toward the outer side of the arm.
3. Front of neck
Doctor will check pains if any located well above the collarbone, on either side of the larynx.
4. Hips
People with fibromyalgia may have a tender point near where the buttock muscles curve to join the thighs.
5. Lower back
If you have fibromyalgia, pain trigger points will be checked at the very top of the buttocks, right at the bottom of the lower back. In fact, many people experience lower back pain not only due to fibromyalgia.
6. Knees
When being touched, fibromyalgia-diagnosed people will feel tender at the the inside of each knee pad.
7. Upper back
Doctors will check the tender points, located where the back muscles connect to the shoulder blades in the upper back.
8. Shoulders
9. Chest
Checking tenderness on either side of the sternum (breastbone), a few inches below the collarbone (near the second rib).