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S.C. Brown
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Fibromyalgia Information
& Local Support

Honours for this website

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FM Tender Points
  • Next Meeting: Details TBA, after coronavirus clears
  • We are a group of people with FM (Fibromyalgia) who want to educate ourselves and others, share in a nonjudgmental format, and to live the best life we can with this illness until a cure is found. You don’t have to be local to our area to benefit from shared information and support from those who understand. Founded in 1995, this is the longest running FM Support Group in Canada. We do not accept advertising, nor do we endorse products (with a couple of exceptions, such as Obusform cushions). We share information about our lives, in a caring and nonjudgmental format. I hope you’ll find helpful information here, and become part of our group.
    - Sheila Brown, Founder and Coordinator
  • For patients, relatives, friends, caregivers or medical professionals
    We get together in a relaxing atmosphere and get to know each other, try to encourage ourselves and have fun. We understand each other, how fast or how slow our bodies can be.
  • To RSVP, either use the Meetup site (free to join, safe, keeps your email private) at www.meetup.com/FibromyalgiaSupportOttawa OR Email OR phone 613-721-2082.

  • NEWS: Jun 2/15 - Missing link found between brain, immune system -- with major disease implications

  • Join our mailing list - See below
  • Check our "Links" page for info on finding a doctor
  • Please note that this website/group does not sell any products, nor do we accept advertising

The fibromyalgia tender points
Drawing of woman showing tender points

David A. Nye MD, 13 Aug 95

To qualify for a diagnosis of fibromyalgia, patients must ache all over and have tenderness in at least 11 of these 18 spots when 4 kgs. of pressure are applied.

Location of FMS tender points:

  1. Attachment of neck muscles at the base of the skull
  2. Midway between neck and shoulder
  3. Muscle over upper inner shoulder blade
  4. 2 cms below side bone at elbow
  5. upper outer buttock
  6. Hip bone
  7. Just above knee on inside
  8. Lower neck in front
  9. Edge of upper breast bone

The American College of Rheumatologists 1990 diagnostic criteria don't say that the aching has to be continuous, just chronic. You can hurt almost anywhere from FMS, not just in the 18 diagnostic tender points which were chosen because they are the most consistent from patient to patient. Anyone who aches all over, particularly if they have some of the other commonly associated symptoms, should try to find a doctor who is knowledgeable about FMS and can perform a tender point examination.

If you have FMS, the chance that any of your full siblings inherited the predisposition is 50% (assuming it is autosomal dominant, which looks like the likely mode). Half-siblings will either be 50% or 0% depending on whether or not you share the parent who passed on the trait to you.

David A. Nye MD Midelfort Clinic, Eau Claire, WI

Honours for this website

  • Hope Award for this website Jul/07
    To be eligible for the Hope Award, websites must:
  • offer accurate information and resources for patients
  • encourage sufferers to search for new treatments and hope
  • refuse to accept inadequate medical advice and doctors who tell us to "learn to live with it"!
  • This website chosen as second best in world!
    At the Annual American College of Rheumatology/ARHP Scientific Meeting in Orlando, FL (Oct/03) .... Physicians from Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center in Chicago, IL, presented this Fibromyalgia Information website as the number two internet site among the top websites recognized as The Best Fibromyalgia Websites. The study selected the top twenty websites out of over 900,000 listed on Yahoo and Google, to critically assess using specific evaluation criteria. This website address at the time was http://fibromyalgia.ncf.ca
  • The criteria included: accuracy for medical content, up-to-date quality information, links to other resources, alternative treatment options, user friendliness, and whether the websites should be recommended to both patients and medical professionals.

  • The Canadian Medical Association Journal has published this information in the February 3, 2004 issue online at www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/full/170/3/326 and at www.cmaj.ca/cgi/reprint/170/3/326.pdf for the PDF of the printed copy.

  • This website was designed, and is maintained, by Computer Tamers & Woman to Woman Computing.

Fibromyalgia Support - Ottawa West (FMSOW)
1568 Merivale Road, Suite 304
Ottawa, Ontario K2G 5Y7
Tel: (613) 721-2082
Cell: (613) 720-0430
Fax: (613) 226-7451
Email Coordinator Sheila Brown at: SCB@fmsow.ca

This web site - www.fmsow.ca
formerly - http://fibromyalgia.ncf.ca

Privacy Policy: Fibromyalgia Support - Ottawa West works to ensure the accuracy, confidentiality and integrity of your personal information.
We do not sell, share, nor distribute your information in any way.
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About Fibromyalgia | More Info | Info for Specialists | Support Group | Speakers | Articles & News | Links | Home
Fibromyalgia Support - Ottawa West
S.C. Brown
Mar/20