Fibromyalgia Health Check - Take the WebMD Fibromyalgia Symptom Assessment

WebMD Home

Arthritis Health Center

Fibromyalgia Health Center

Fibromyalgia Health Check

Email a Friend

Print Article

THIS TOOL DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. It is intended for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Never ignore professional medical advice in seeking treatment because of something you have read on the WebMD Site. If you think you may have a medical emergency, immediately call your doctor or dial 911.

Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD on April 15, 2011
Sources:

1. Wolfe, F, Smythe, HA, Yunus, MB, et al. American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 1990 Criteria for the Classification of Fibromyalgia. Arth & Rheum 1990; 33(2):160-172.
2. Goldenberg, DL, Burckhardt, C, Crofford, L. Management of fibromyalgia syndrome. JAMA 2004; 292(19):2388-2395.
3. Carville, SF, Arendt-Nielsen, S, Bliddal, H, et al. EULAR evidence based recommendations for the management of fibromyalgia syndrome. Ann Rheum Dis 2007; online.
4. Burckhardt, CS, Clark, SR, Bennett, RM. The Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire: Development and validation. J Rheum 1991; 18(5):728-733.
5. Crofford, L. Pain management in fibromyalgia. Curr Opin Rheumatol 2008; 20(3):246-250.
6. Harris, R, Clauw, D, Scott, D, et al. Decreased central mu-opioid receptor availability in fibromyalgia. J Neurosci 2007; 27(37):1000-1006.
7. Zautra, A. Strengthening resilience capacity might light the way to a brighter future for patients with fibromyalgia. Nat Clin Pract Rheumatol 2008; published online.
8. Gowans, S, deHueck, A. Effectiveness of exercise in management of fibromyalgia. Curr Opin Rheumatol 2004; 16(2):138-142.
9. Rooks, D, Gautam, S, Romeling, M, et al. Group exercise, education, and combination self-management in women with fibromyalgia: a randomized trial. Arch Intern Med 2007; 167(20):2192-2200.
10. Jones, K, Clark, S, Bennett, R. Prescribing exercise for people with fibromyalgia. AACN Clin Issues 2002; 13(2):277-293.
11. Chakrabarty, S, Zoorob, R. Fibromyalgia. Am Fam Physician 2007; 76(2):247-254.
12. Goldenberg, D. Multidisciplinary modalities in the treatment of fibromyalgia. J Clin Psychiatry 2008; 69(Suppl 2):30-34.
13. Zozulya, A, Gabaeva, M, Sokolov, O, et al. Personality, coping style, and constitutional neuroimmunology. J Immunotoxicol 2008; 5(2):221-225.
14. Karp, J, Shega, J, morone, N, Weiner, D. Advances in understanding the mechanisms and management of persistent pain in older adults. Br J Anaesth 2008; 101(1):111-120
15. American College of Rheumatology:”Fibromyalgia.”
16. Nickerson, B PharmD, BCPS; Recent Advances in the Treatment of Pain Associated With Fibromyalgia; US Pharm. 2009;34(9):49-55.
17. Russell IJ, Kamin M, Bennett RM, et al. Efficacy of tramadol in treatment of pain in fibromyalgia. J Clin Rheumatol. 2000;6:250-257.
18. Bennett RM, Kamin M, Karim R, et al. Tramadol and acetaminophen combination tablets in the treatment of fibromyalgia pain: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. Am J Med. 2003;114:537-545.
19. Bennett RM, Schein J, Kosinski MR, et al. Impact of fibromyalgia pain on health-related quality of life before and after treatment with tramadol/acetaminophen. Arthritis Rheum. 2005;53:519-527.
20. Buckhardt CS, Goldenberg D, Crofford L, et al. Guideline for the management of fibromyalgia syndrome pain in adults and children. Glenview, IL: American Pain Society; 2005.
21. Fibromyalgia Symptoms.Org: “Muscle Relaxants”
22. Tofferi, J. Jackson, J. O’Malley, P. Treatment of Fibromyalgia With Cyclobenzaprine: A Meta-Analysis; Arthritis & Rheumatism; 2004; 51: 9–13.
23. Bernardy K, Fuber N, Kollner V, Hauser W.; Efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapies in fibromyalgia syndrome - a systematic review and metaanalysis of randomized controlled trials; J Rheumatol. 2010 Oct;37(10):1991-2005.
24. Fors EA, Sexton H, Gotestam KG. The effect of guided imagery and amitriptyline on daily fibromyalgia pain. J Psychiatr Res. 2002;36:179
Understanding Your Score:
Your Overall Fibromyalgia Health Check Score

The overall Health Check score is comprised of a Health Score, a Well-Being Score, and a Knowledge Score.

Health Score

A team of medical experts at WebMD developed the Fibromyalgia Health Score to help men and women who have fibromyalgia or related symptoms better understand how factors related to their condition and treatment can impact their life. The Health Score reflects the current status of health – something that is not always within control of the patient. The answers to some questions will affect both Health and Well-Being scores.

A Fibromyalgia Health Check Score of:

30 to 40
- Reflects an overall fairly healthy state—someone may or may not have symptoms of fibromyalgia, such as pain and fatigue, but the array of symptoms they do have are controlled and are not significantly impacting their everyday activities
10 to 29
- Reflects someone whose symptoms, such as pain and fatigue, are moderate and affecting their everyday activities
Less than 10
- Reflects someone whose symptoms, such as pain and fatigue, are severe and significantly affecting their everyday activities
WebMD presents the Fibromyalgia Health Score for general information purposes only and may not be accurate for everyone with fibromyalgia. It is not intended to be a substitute or replacement for an evaluation by a qualified medical provider. Only your doctor can determine which diagnostic procedures and medical treatments are right for you. The Fibromyalgia Health Score is based only on the current answers provided and may vary widely between Fibromyalgia Health Check sessions.

Well-Being Score

A team of medical experts at WebMD developed the Well-Being Score to help people determine how much their symptoms affect their overall sense of well-being and their capacity to cope with daily symptoms. For those who are undiagnosed with fibromyalgia but are showing a high likelihood of having the condition, their willingness to engage their doctor and take an active role in their health care is taken into consideration, too.

A Fibromyalgia Well-Being Score of:

30 to 40
- Generally reflects someone whose overall well-being, ability to cope, and interactions with others are only minimally affected by their symptoms
10 to 29
- Generally reflects someone whose overall well-being, ability to cope, and interactions with others have been moderately affected by their symptoms
Less than 10
- Generally reflects someone whose overall well-being, ability to cope, and interactions with others have been severely affected by their symptoms
Knowledge Score

The Fibromyalgia Knowledge Score was created by a team of medical experts at WebMD to help patients be better informed about fibromyalgia and thereby make better decisions.

A Fibromyalgia Knowledge Score of:

16 to 20
- Generally reflects an excellent overall understanding of fibromyalgia and how to manage symptoms
8 to 12
- Generally reflects an adequate understanding of fibromyalgia and how to manage symptoms
Less than 8
- Generally reflects the need to learn more about fibromyalgia and how to manage symptoms

Your Overall Fibromyalgia Health Check Score

Health Score

A Fibromyalgia Health Check Score of:

Well-Being Score

Knowledge Score

Health Solutions From Our Sponsors

More From WebMD:

Find us on: