What are the key diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia according to current UK guidelines?

Key diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia according to current UK guidelines:

There are no specific diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia detailed in the provided UK guideline excerpts. The available UK guidelines focus on related conditions such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), chronic pain, and musculoskeletal presentations, but do not explicitly define fibromyalgia diagnostic criteria.

However, fibromyalgia is generally considered a chronic pain syndrome characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, and other symptoms, often overlapping with conditions like ME/CFS and chronic primary pain. The NICE guideline on chronic pain (primary and secondary) in over 16s recommends assessment and management of chronic primary pain, which includes fibromyalgia, but does not specify diagnostic criteria in the excerpts provided ⁴.

For ME/CFS, which shares some symptom overlap with fibromyalgia, NICE NG206 specifies diagnosis based on persistent debilitating fatigue worsened by activity, post-exertional malaise, unrefreshing sleep, and cognitive difficulties lasting at least 3 months, with exclusion of other causes ¹.

In summary, current UK guidelines do not provide explicit diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia in the provided context, but diagnosis is clinical, based on symptom patterns and exclusion of other conditions, often within the broader framework of chronic pain management ⁴.