New guidance to diagnose fibromyalgia
Tuesday April 26th 2022
New guidelines have been published to support clinicians diagnosing fibromyalgia syndrome.
The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) says while FMS is common, it is often challenging to diagnose, which means patients can be wrongly diagnosed and receive the correct diagnosis years later.
Dr Andreas Goebel, a specialist in pain medicine who led the work on the new guidelines, said: “Understanding about symptom-based disorders without tissue destruction is still in its beginnings, and fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is amongst the most common of these conditions.
“I anticipate that this new guidance can empower healthcare professionals to make the FMS diagnosis confidently and accurately.”
Dr Chris Barker, a GP and pain specialist who co-chaired the Guideline Development Group, said: “Anyone who is close to fibromyalgia knows how hard it can be to live with. My hope is that these guidelines can help reduce the suffering endured particularly because of misunderstanding and difficulty recognising it.”
Dr Cathryn Edwards, RCP registrar, added: “We’re delighted to have published these guidelines, which aim to increase understanding of fibromyalgia and support the diagnosis of the condition. We very much hope that they will help to raise awareness and lead to improved lives and outcomes for patients.”
Tags: Pain Relief | UK News
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