New Tool For Fibromyalgia Diagnosis Clinically

A series of 6 self-administered questions proved helpful in delineating fibromyalgia risk. A cut-off of 5/6 positive answers “gave the highest rate of correct identification of patients (87.9%), with a sensitivity of 90.5% and a specificity of 85.7%”.
Pain. 2010 May 18. [Epub ahead of print]
Development and validation of the Fibromyalgia Rapid Screening Tool (FiRST).
Perrot S, Bouhassira D, Fermanian J

Questionnaire was:

FiRST 2010

I have pain all over my body
My pain is accompanied by a continuous and very unpleasant general fatigue
My pain feels like burns, electric shocks or cramps
My pain is accompanied by other unusual sensations throughout my body, such as pins and needles, tingling or numbness
My pain is accompanied by other health problems such as digestive problems, urinary problems, headaches or restless legs
My pain has a significant impact on my life, particularly on my sleep and my ability to concentrate, making me feel slower generally

I have put it in a table for use Here

Specificity and sensitivity are as follows:

The best results were with 5 positive responses. The question about burns and electric shocks and cramps seems similar to what one whould expect of neuropathic pain though they caution they are not really sure if this is true.

Comment – will have to try it and see. This is a French proposal. In the USA, their new criteria, is imminent.

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