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Educational Activity

Presentation and Diagnosis of Fibromyalgia

Larry Culpepper, MD, MPH

Published: December 15, 2011

This CME activity is expired. For more CME activities, visit CMEInstitute.com.
Find more articles on this and other psychiatry and CNS topics:
The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
The Primary Care Companion for CNS Disorders


Abstract

Because of substantial symptomatic overlap with several other conditions, fibromyalgia is difficult to detect and diagnose. The hallmark symptom of fibromyalgia is widespread pain, but patients often complain of only specific or localized pain symptoms, complicating the diagnosis. Assessing pain symptoms is the first step in the diagnostic process and must include performing a differential diagnosis and identifying comorbid illnesses. New diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia allow primary care physicians to bypass a time-consuming 18-point physical examination and, instead, use assessment tools.


 

Volume: 72

Quick Links: Fibromyalgia , Somatic Symptoms and Related Disorders

References