Fibromyalgia's Eighteen Points of Pain

"Diagnosing fibromyalgia can be tough. Pain is highly personal, so one person’s 'I hurt all over' isn’t necessarily the same as another person’s 'I hurt all over.' "

In order to be able to diagnose this debilitating condition, doctors focus on eighteen points on the body that generate intense pain when pressed. The American College of Rheumatology has issued guidelines saying that when a person registers pain in eleven or more of these points, this is considered to be a definitive diagnosis of fibromyalgia.

Here are the points identified in fibromyalgia: The back of the neck. The front of the neck. The sternum (breastbone). The shoulders. The elbows. The upper back. The lower back. The hips. The knees.

In reading this list of painful points I was struck with the thought that, if someone were to have 11 or more of these sore areas in their bodies ... that doesn't leave much area that doesn't hurt. That's a world of pain.

http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20345635_1,00.html

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• Fibromyalgia