There's no one test for fibromyalgia. Doctors make that diagnosis if you have widespread pain that's not from another medical condition for more than three months. Because its symptoms overlap with other conditions, it's often hard to spot. On average, it takes five years to diagnose fibromyalgia. Many fibromyalgia symptoms are like those of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). But there are some key differences:
- RA causes inflammation in the joints. The pain can come and go. With fibromyalgia, the ache is constant, and it happens all over your body. You feel dull pain that lasts at least three months.
- With fibromyalgia, you often feel tenderness when someone touches you.