The journal of pain : official journal of the American Pain Society
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Fibromyalgia (FM) is a condition with chronic widespread pain and signs of generalized pain hypersensitivity. FM has previously been classified according to the American College of Rheumatology-1990 criteria, where the presence of hypersensitivity is estimated by a tender point examination. Because of the limitations of these classification criteria, new diagnostic criteria have been proposed, abandoning this examination. ⋯ Patients fulfilling the FM criteria (n = 498, 37%) reported significantly higher levels of pain, pain-related disability, psychological distress, and sensitivity to mechanical and heat stimuli (P < .05). Moreover, the proportion using opioids were significantly higher compared with patients not fulfilling the criteria (P = .015). Significant associations were found between heat and mechanical pain sensitivity (P < .001) indicating that patients who showed higher pain sensitivity to mechanical stimulation also showed higher pain sensitivity to thermal stimulation.