I saw a rheumatologist today. He was pretty robotic and didn’t talk much, but I’m pretty sure he was giving me the “tender point” exam.
My chest area, arm area and knees were so painful! But for some of the points (such as my neck) he put significantly less pressure and I didn’t feel pain.
He didn’t diagnose me with anything, instead sending me for blood work and saying he didn’t believe I had a rheumatoid condition…
I’ve had a couple of doctors suggest fibromyalgia now, so this was a surprise.
Can a doctor exclude fibromyalgia based on tender points alone?
In my experiences, no… the tender points was the key for me when I started going to a rheumatoid doctor that I now love, I saw one before and sent me to neuro doctors that said I had restless legs which I had already known that, so when I switched doctors and found this rhumy, he has taken the time to show me all tender points, which ones are consistent with pain, treatments we can try and I have been taking his suggestions ever since. When there is a key tender point that hurts, that is when I know to address the consistent area. I found out two years later though that I have osteoarthritis due to knee and ankle pain, the xrays shown us where the exact location is along in one of my hip joints. wish you well.
sym
I had a similar experience with the rheumatologist that I saw. She pressed some areas really lightly so I didn’t feel the pain, even though I usually get pain there. She said all my symptoms sounded like fibromyalgia but she didn’t want to diagnose me because I’m young and other silly reasons like it would make my health insurance more expensive. She also said, ‘I pressed the tender points and you didn’t have pain in all of them’. She sent me away with a physio referral and said to go back to her in a month. I never went back. She also said I had weak leg muscles when I know my legs are quite strong and the physio agreed with me. To make matters worse she would make jokes and laugh at really inappropriate moments when I was in pain and exhausted, wanting help. Some rheumatologists are really unhelpful and don’t listen to their patients. I would avoid people like that.
My doctor ended up diagnosing me after that and I got help from other medical professionals. No use spending my valuable money on useless specialists who don’t care about their patients and have their own agendas.
After two years of complaining about chronic pain in my shoulders, chest, and upper back to my regular practitioner, she finally sent me to a rheumatologist. He checked my joints, did the blood work, and told me that I have pain at trigger points and that it wasn’t arthritis. Without discussing it with me, I was given cimbalta, which I won’t take because it is an antidepressant and I don’t respond well to that type of medication. Moreover, I feel that the depression is a symptom of the chronic pain and fatigue that I experience. I went back to my practitioner and she gave me some anxiety and pain medicine which has helped to control the pain some. I am still working two jobs and chasing a 2 year old around the house so I have ok days and bad days…never great days. This is also a struggle as I want to be a super mom but I struggle with finding the energy to do the things my mind wants to do when My body says, “No way sister. Not today.”