Fibromyalgia
Meaning of fibromyalgia: For the purposes of this Statement of Principles, fibromyalgia means a syndrome of chronic widespread pain, with associated somatic symptoms, that has persisted for at least 3 months, and which meets the following diagnostic criteria, as assessed by a medical practitioner: (a) a widespread pain index: (i) of at least 7, with an associated symptom severity scale score of at least 5; or (ii) from 4 to 6, with an associated symptom severity scale score of at least 9; and (b) pain is present in at least 4 of 5 regions from the specified list of regions; and (c) the pain and symptoms are not better accounted for by another medical or psychiatric condition.
Reasonable Hypothesis (RH) — Statement of Principles No. 107 of 2021
At least one of the following factors must as a minimum exist before it can be said that a reasonable hypothesis has been raised connecting fibromyalgia or death from fibromyalgia with the circumstances of a person's relevant service:
- (1)experiencing severe childhood abuse before the clinical onset of fibromyalgia;
Note: severe childhood abuse is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (2)being overweight or obese at the time of the clinical onset of fibromyalgia;
Note: being overweight or obese is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (3)having an autoimmune inflammatory condition which is associated with the development of arthritis at the time of the clinical onset of fibromyalgia;
- (4)experiencing a category 1A stressor within the 1 year before the clinical onset of fibromyalgia;
Note: category 1A stressor is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (5)having a severe, chronic medical condition for at least the 2 years before the clinical onset of fibromyalgia;
Note: severe, chronic medical condition is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (6)inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for fibromyalgia;
Aggravation-only factors: the factors in subsection 9(6) apply only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, the condition where it was suffered or contracted before or during (but did not arise out of) the person’s relevant service.
Balance of Probabilities (BoP) — Statement of Principles No. 108 of 2021
4 factors
At least one of the following factors must exist before it can be said that, on the balance of probabilities, fibromyalgia or death from fibromyalgia is connected with the circumstances of a person's relevant service:
- (1)experiencing severe childhood abuse before the clinical onset of fibromyalgia;
Note: severe childhood abuse is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (2)being overweight or obese at the time of the clinical onset of fibromyalgia;
Note: being overweight or obese is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (3)having an autoimmune inflammatory condition which is associated with the development of arthritis at the time of the clinical onset of fibromyalgia;
- (4)inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for fibromyalgia;
Aggravation-only factors: the factors in subsection 9(4) apply only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, the condition where it was suffered or contracted before or during (but did not arise out of) the person’s relevant service.
