Social Security does not list fibromyalgia but when severe, fibromyalgia is similar to autoimmune disorders and can be just as disabling.
Fibromyalgia
1. If you have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, has a rheumatologist done a tender point examination?
2. If you experience flare ups, what is the duration and frequency?
Fibromyalgia is characterized by widespread muscle pain, fatigue, and multiple tender points. The American College of Rheumatology has developed criteria for diagnosing the condition when at least 11 of 18 points on the body are tender when touched. Social Security currently accepts these diagnostic criteria. However, this may change as researchers now regard the condition as a “disorder of pain signaling, arising in the central nervous system.” As such, doctors may start to treat fibromyalgia as a neurological disorder as they learn more about the condition.
