If you think you may have fibromyalgia, visit your GP. Diagnosing fibromyalgia can be difficult, as there is no specific test that can diagnose the condition. The symptoms of fibromyalgia can be varied and very similar to those of several other conditions.

Your GP will diagnose fibromyalgia based on you having a typical mix of symptoms and ruling out any other conditions that could be causing these.

Visiting your GP

Your GP may ask you about:

• your pain
• your symptoms
• if you have any other conditions
• how the symptoms affect your daily life
• if you are taking any medicine

You may also have a physical examination, where you GP will check your entire body for any visible signs of fibromyalgia, such as swollen joints.

Ruling out other conditions

If your GP thinks you may have fibromyalgia, they will first have to rule out any other conditions that could be causing your symptoms. These conditions include:

• chronic fatigue syndrome (also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis, or ME) - a condition that causes long-term tiredness
• rheumatoid arthritis - a condition that causes pain and inflammation (swelling) in the joints
• multiple sclerosis (MS) - a condition of the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord) that affects movement and balance

You may have blood tests, X-rays and other scans to rule out these and any other condition with symptoms similar to fibromyalgia. If you are found to have another condition, you could still have fibromyalgia as well.

Diagnosing fibromyalgia

Once all other conditions have been considered or ruled out, there are two criteria that can be used to confirm a diagnosis of fibromyalgia. If your symptoms fit within these criteria, it is likely you will be diagnosed with fibromyalgia.

The criteria for diagnosing fibromyalgia are:

• widespread pain for more than three months on both the left and right sides of your body, above and below your waist
• pain in at least 11 of the 18 'tender points' when they are pressed

Tender points

The tender points are the areas on your body where your pain is likely to be at its worst. They are places on the body where everyone is most sensitive to pain, so if you have fibromyalgia, these areas will be very painful.

There are tender points at the back of your neck, above each of your shoulder blades and the inside of your elbows. Your GP may also press other areas that are not tender points, to compare how much more painful the tender points are.

Additional conditions

It is also possible to have other conditions alongside your fibromyalgia. For example:

• depression (long-term feelings of extreme sadness)
• anxiety (constant feelings of worry)
• irritable bowel syndrome (a condition that affects the digestive system) 

If your symptoms suggest you have another condition as well, you may need further tests to diagnose these. Identifying all possible conditions will help to guide your treatment. 

Inflammation

Inflammation is the body's response to infection, irritation or injury, which causes redness, swelling, pain and sometimes a feeling of heat in the affected area.

X-ray

An X-ray is an imaging technique that uses high-energy radiation to show up abnormalities in bones and certain body tissue, such as breast tissue.