Fibro Files: 1990 ACR classification pdf and Tender Points image for diagnosing Fibromyalgia

Please Note that the Tender Point Test (TPT) is no longer part of the diagnostic elements for diagnosing Fibromyalgia and this is for educational purposes only.

However, regarding the history of fibromyalgia it still remains as an integral part of learning. Many fibromyalgia patients diagnosed prior to the the change of criteria in 2012, 2013 & 2014 that saw it’s demise feel that many people have been getting misdiagnosed with the illness as a result. Plus, in some cases lessened their own diagnosis enough to campaign for it’s return to the diagnostic process.

Not being able to gauge pain levels has always been the problem with Chronic Pain Disorders such as Fibromyalgia, and scoring systems have always had flaws. A pain level score, for example 6, to one person may feel like an 8 to another, but how do they measure that.

Infogram showing the TPT from Fibromyalgia diagnosis from 1990 diagnostic criteria by American College of Rheumatology

tender-points-for-diagnosis-of-fibromyalgia

Pdf Link to 1990 Fibromyalgia Classification – ACR (American College of Rheumatology): –

1990_Criteria_for_Classification_Fibro

Reprinted from Arthritis & Rheumatism, Vol 33 , No 2, February 1990

  1. Frederick Wolfe MD1,*,
  2. Hugh A. Smythe MD2,
  3. Muhammad B. Yunus MD3,
  4. Robert M. Bennett MD4,
  5. Claire Bombardier MD5,
  6. Don L. Goldenberg MD6,
  7. Peter Tugwell MD7,
  8. Stephen M. Campbell MD8,
  9. Micha Abeles MD9,
  10. Patricia Clark MD10,
  11. Adel G. Fam MD11,
  12. Stephen J. Farber MD12,
  13. Justus J. Fiechtner MD13,
  14. C. Michael Franklin MD14,
  15. Robert A. Gatter MD15,
  16. Daniel Hamaty MD16,
  17. James Lessard MD17,
  18. Alan S. Lichtbroun MD18,
  19. Alfonse T. Masi MD19,
  20. Glenn A. Mccain MD20,
  21. W. John Reynolds MD21,
  22. Thomas J. Romano MD22,
  23. I. Jon Russell MD23 and
  24. Robert P. Sheon MD24

Article first published online: 9 DEC 2005

DOI: 10.1002/art.1780330203

Sources:-

Link:  American College of Rheumatology

Link:  onlinelibrary.wiley.com – Abstract 1990 ACR Fibro classifications   You can download the pdf here

Arthritis & Rheumatism ia an official Journal of the ACR

Tender point image from stock library:  wwwcanstockphoto.com

 

Further reading

Chronic Pain has arrived in the ICD-11 | International Association for the Study of Pain | Jan 17, 2019

https://www.iasp-pain.org/PublicationsNews/NewsDetail.aspx?ItemNumber=8340&navItemNumber=643