What type of doctor treats fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is most commonly diagnosed and treated by rheumatologists, neurologists, physiatrists (who specialize in treating injuries and diseases causing pain and loss of function), pain-management physicians and psychologists. Shurman often suggests that fibromyalgia patients see all of these specialists to treat all different aspects of the illness. “It’s always best to see a doctor who knows you the best, knows your family history, your social and stress history and your sleep (problems). They are the best ones to understand if it may be fibromyalgia,” Bonakdar says. How is fibromyalgia diagnosed? There is no lab test for diagnosing fibromyalgia. Doctors must rely on the patient’s symptoms, history and physical exam. The physical exam is based on the standardized American College of Rheumatology criteria. To be diagnosed as having fibromyalgia, the patient must have pain in all four quadrants of the body for a minimum of three months and have tenderness or pain in at least 11 of
