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If you’ve been dealing with chronic pain for a while, you’ve probably wondered, “How do I know if my pain is Fibromyalgia?”
Fibromyalgia is one of those “mystery” chronic illnesses that can crop up from trauma, a physical injury, or out of the blue.
Plus, because symptoms are similar to other illnesses, making a quick diagnosis is difficult.
While only a doctor can diagnose Fibromyalgia, there are ways to see if your pain could be due to Fibromyalgia (FM). This way, you no longer need to suffer in silence or confusion.
So how can you tell if all the pain you’re feeling is from Fibro?
In this post, I share 3 ways you can do this. I’ll also share a massive list of symptoms I created so you can cross-check with your own. I couldn’t find such a comprehensive list anywhere else.
Furthermore, you’ll learn the 8 pain types of FM and 2 resources for a “do I have Fibro?” quiz.
By the end of this post, you should better understand whether your pain is due to Fibro.
How do I know if my pain is Fibromyalgia?
There are 3 ways to tell if your pain could be Fibromyalgia.
You can:
- check your symptoms
- check your pain types
- check your tender points
Check your symptoms
So many symptoms of FM make it easy to confuse for another illness. However, other conditions can also mimic Fibro.
For example, Lyme disease and lupus can cause widespread pain, which is Fibro’s top symptom. They can also spawn headaches, fatigue, and memory issues.
But there are differentiating symptoms. For instance, people with lupus tend to experience lots of hair loss, whereas those with Fibro don’t.
So how can you check your symptoms? What you can do first is keep a notebook describing them. Then, jot them down as you have them. You can even list the frequency and location of each symptom, like “one body stab in my right arm at lunch.”
This way, you also have documentation. And you don’t have to worry about remembering everything at the doctor’s.
Because hello, brain fog!
The following section is a comprehensive list of Fibromyalgia symptoms. See how many symptoms you have.
40+ physical symptoms of Fibromyalgia
Upper body:
- headaches
- tension headaches
- migraine headaches
- stabbing/ice pick headaches
- stabbing feeling behind the eyes
- sensitivity to light, sound, temperature
- scalp soreness
- seemingly squishy spots on your scalp when pressed
- constant stuffy nose
- burning raindrop sensation on head
- jaw tightness/pain
- tight neck muscles
- tight shoulder muscles
- chest pain
- wheezing
- finger pain
- fingernail pain
Middle body:
- back pain
- nausea
- diarrhea
- constipation
- stomach pain
- gas
- bloating
- bladder pain
- frequent urination
Lower body:
- stabbing sensation in the feet and ankles
- stiff legs
- tight hips
- knee pain
All over:
- pain shifting around the body
- no energy
- muscle twitching
- cramps
- bruise easily
- burning skin sensation
- itchy skin
- numbness in hands and feet
- tingling in hands and feet
- excess sweating
- swollen feeling
- needle-prick sensations
- intense random aches, like tiny explosions inside you
- random electrical jolts like lighting in your body
- clothes hurt to wear
- hurts during a hug
- increased pain from weather
Fibro brings a host of memory issues, fatigue, anxiety, and depression, but that’s for another blog post.
Check your pain types
The physical symptoms you’re experiencing belong to different categories of pain types.
According to Verywell Health, doctors identified 7 types of pain people experience with Fibro. One pain type listed in their article is ‘abdominal and pelvic pain,’ but I have split the two here. To me, hip pain is very different from tummy trouble!
You don’t need to have every pain type to have Fibro (thank goodness?), but you will likely have at least a few if you do.
Each type of pain can vary from day to day and move throughout the body.
8 types of Fibromyalgia pain
- Allodynia: Pronounced al-uh-din-ia, this type of pain is when something that shouldn’t hurt does hurt. For example, the touch of your shirt on your skin, the water from a shower, or the wind on your scalp.
2. Abdominal pain: Many with FM suffer from abdominal pain and uber-fun issues like nausea, bloating, and gas. Acid reflux is also common. Furthermore, more than two-thirds of FM warriors have irritable bowel syndrome (BS).
3. Central Sensitization: Aka hyperalgesia. Central sensitization is when the body overreacts to pain. According to a 2015 study, Fibro is the most common central sensitivity syndrome (CSS). This, combined with allodynia and Fibro, is quite a painful experience.
4. Headaches: Migraines, tension headaches, and idiopathic stabbing headaches (ice pick headaches) are common in more than half of FM sufferers.
5. Neuropathic pain: This is a strange type of pain as it makes your body feel like it’s hosting a lighting storm and creepy-crawly bugs inside. People with neuropathic pain experience tingling, jolts, itching, burning, and numbness all over, though it’s most common in the extremities.
6. Pelvic pain: Many with FM experience pelvic pain in which they feel a sudden sharp stabbing sensation. They may also feel dull aches. Pelvic pain can make sitting and standing for long or even short periods painful and challenging.
7. Temporomandibular joint pain (TMJ): This is chronic, aching pain around the jaw, ears, face, and neck.
8. Widespread muscle pain: FM’s classic hit-by-a-truck help I hurt all over sensation. It can feel like a deep, aching pain or a pulled muscle. Note that this type of pain is similar, yet different from myofascial pain syndrome.
Check your tender points
Tender points are these coin-sized spots all over your body that hurt when pressed on (even if it’s a light press with a finger).
People living with Fibromyalgia tend to have tender points and may even cry out in pain if those points are pressed.
For example, 1 tender point is on the upper part of each hip, near your back (tender points are there too, with a total of 18 throughout the body).
Doctors used to diagnose FM with at least 11 tender points. This is no longer used as an official diagnostic tool. The FM/a blood test, Widespread Pain Index, and Symptom Severity Scale are used instead.
So if someone gives you a hug and their fingers wrap into your hips, and you wince and cry out in pain, that’s a big sign that you may have Fibro.
But again, not all FM sufferers experience tender points.
How do I know if I have Fibromyalgia? quizzes
I found 2 quiz-type resources for seeing if you have Fibromyalgia:
- You can take a 5 question quiz at Vitality 101 (there’s also a quiz for chronic fatigue syndrome).
- You can also take the Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire.
Regardless of how you score, if you think you could have FM, please consult with your doctor.
Related posts:
Your takeaway
Fibromyalgia is notoriously difficult to diagnose because there are so many symptoms.
If you suspect you may have FM, you can check your symptoms, pain types, and number of tender points.
But, don’t replace any of your research with talking to your doctor. Or several.
What symptoms do you have or have had that are not listed? Share them here, and the next time I update this post, I’ll include them!
P.S. If you found this article helpful, please share it!
3 replies on “How Do I Know If My Pain Is Fibromyalgia? 3 Quick And Simple Ways To Check”
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Hi Laura! So happy you’re enjoying it 🙂