A Vital Sign

Many of those suffering with the Pain of Fibromyalgia Syndrome become depressed when they have severe symptoms. Some patients feel so bad they cannot sleep or eat.  In these cases,  treatment therapy or counseling may help, although many fibromyalgia syndrome patients are afraid to admit they need help. Often patients believe that others will think they are crazy if they talk to a professional about their problems. But it is  smart to get help when you need it.

Is  Pain The 5th Vital Sign and Can It Assist in  the Diagnosis of the PAIN of FIBROMYALGIA SYNDROME?
Blood pressure, pulse, respiration and temperature have been defined for many centuries as the basic "vital signs" that indicate good health.  These vital signs are important clues for physicians to diagnose and treat illness, such as fibromyalgia syndrome.  Vital signs provide a simple baseline compass to determine if a patient is ill.  It is now being recognized that pain is also a sign of illness.  Pain can provide a useful tool for physicians to measure and monitor a patient’s state of health, illness and well-being.  Moreover, making sure health care providers check for pain should be the first step in the recognition of the Pain of Fibromyalgia Syndrome,  and treatment of the symptoms.

How Is Pain Used As A Vital Sign For the Diagnosis and Treatment of Fibromyalgia Syndrome?
Although the pain associated with fibromyalgia syndrome pain is subjective and can vary from one patient to another, and from one day to the next, physicians and health care providers attempt to measure this symptom as objectively as possible.  The pain from fibromyalgia syndrome tender points is usually determined by asking the patient what their symptoms are like and relating the intensity level to a scale. This scale is often a numeric measurement between 0 and 10, with the number 0 meaning "no pain" and a score of 10 representing "the worst imaginable".

Pain measurements of patients may be examined  by closely monitoring the patient's other vital signs (heart rate, respiration, pulse and temperature) as well as behaviors such as their level of agitation, irritation and restlessness.  Pain scales are useful indicators for physicians to get a sense of how much pain a patient is experiencing. These are very important measures as they help determine if the patient's condition is improving or deteriorating. 

Because pain is such an important part in the diagnosis and treatment of FMS, the need for physicians and other health care providers to register pain as a vital sign is becoming a mandated part of medical care. These efforts are just one indication of the heightened awareness of pain as a potentially overlooked source of suffering.  Adding pain as the 5th vital sign may help patients overcome needless suffering from this disabling disease.