New research finds an accurate way of diagnosing fibromyalgia and differentiating it from other related conditions. Using blood samples and innovative techniques, scientists have detected a “molecular fingerprint” that is unique to the condition.

Share on Pinterest People with fibromyalgia experience pain in many areas of their body.

Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that affects 2–8 percent of the worldwide population and approximately 4 million adults in the United States. Most of the people living with fibromyalgia are women.

Chronic pain throughout the body is the main characteristic of fibromyalgia. However, many people with the condition often experience a wider range of symptoms, which often have similarities to other conditions.

The fact that the signs and symptoms of fibromyalgia coincide with those of other disorders makes it challenging for doctors to diagnose, and often people living with fibromyalgia “are still sometimes made to feel like it’s all in their head.”

But, new research may have found a way to rectify this. Scientists have managed to detect fibromyalgia in blood samples and differentiate it from other similar conditions.

Kevin Hackshaw, a professor in the College of Medicine at the Ohio State University in Columbus and a rheumatologist at the university’s Wexner Medical Center, led the new research.

Prof. Hackshaw and his colleagues published their study in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.