|  | Conditions Treatments | Medical Conditions

What Are Pressure Points for Fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is a rheumatoid disease that affects 3 to 5 percent of the population in America. Current theories suggest that the disease begins in the central nervous system. Doctors use a multi-tiered approach to diagnose fibromyalgia. First, they rule out other diseases. Then they use a series of pressure points for further testing.

  1. Identification

    • Fibromyalgia is often described as experiencing pain from head to toe. People who have fibromyalgia may feel fatigue, have a chronic headache, feel stiff in the morning, have skin sensitivities, have an irritable bladder, experience temporomandibular joint dysfunction syndrome (TMJ), have cognitive or memory impairment, endure numbness and tingling sensations and have dry eyes or mouth. The symptoms can vary widely, so doctors often rely on pressure points to help confirm a diagnosis.

    Upper Body Pressure Points

    • The upper body has several pressure points that can be tender in people with fibromyalgia. These include 2 at the top of the shoulderblades, 2 at the base of the shoulderblades, 2 at the top of the chest just below the collarbone, 2 at the base of the skull plates, and 2 on the neck, at the point where the neck meets the jaw.

    Lower Body Pressure Points

    • The lower body has 4 pressure points. These are found on the sides of the hips, just below the top of the hipbone, and on the lower back, just above the pelvic bone.

    Extremity Pressure Points

    • More pressure points can be found on the extremities. These include points on the elbows on the outside of the arm and on the inside of the knees. In both cases, the pressure point is right at the bend or joint.

    Amount of Pressure

    • When checking the pressure points, the examiner will use only as much pressure as it would take to turn a nailbed white.

Medical Conditions - Related Articles