Why is it so hard for conventional Western medicine to diagnose  fibromyalgia? For one thing, there are no lab tests or x-rays that can diagnose it. Fibromyalgia is something like Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in that it is not  seen as a clear-cut disease caused by a specific agent, but rather as a  collection of symptoms. If a patient exhibits enough of the standard  fibromyalgia symptoms, then she is diagnosed with fibromyalgia (women are much  more likely to have fibromyalgia than men). Fibromyalgia means "pain of the  muscle fiber," and the most characteristic symptom is a high level of pain in  muscle tissue. Other common symptoms are exhaustion or overwhelming fatigue,  insomnia or sleeping disorder, and very stiff muscles upon awakening in the  morning. Besides these principal symptoms, fibromyalgia patients often complain  of depression, anxiety, headaches, and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).

In traditional Chinese medicine theory this problem is considered to be an imbalance of the Spleen and Heart. This pattern of  Spleen/Heart Deficiency fits the classic symptoms of fibromyalgia. Another  pattern that fits the profile of a fibromyalgia patient is called Liver Qi Stagnation with Liver invading the Spleen. Symptoms of muscle pain and insomnia followed as the Spleen and Heart became more deficient and imbalanced over time. The goal of treatment was to nourish the Spleen so it could properly nourish the Heart and other muscles, and to bring the Spleen and Heart into balance.

Diagnosis in western medicine
There is no definitive medical test for fibromyalgia in western medicine. The diagnosis of fibromyalgia is made by doing a physical exam and a thorough history. The doctor may check for pain and tenderness at 18 "tender points," areas where the pain is more severe. Although pain or tenderness is a symptom, the tissues don't show any physical abnormalities. The doctor will also rule out other causes of muscle pain, such as lupus and arthritis. This may involve blood tests. Because there is no specific test for fibromyalgia, the diagnosis may be difficult to make at first.