What are the tender points on a person with fibromyalgia?

The tender points on a person with fibromyalgia are nine pairs of coin-sized points on the body that hurt when pressed, according to WebMD. They are around but not in the joints. Physicians use these points to diagnose fibromyalgia.

Tender points are on the sides of the neck, over the clavicles, on the inside of the elbows and around the knees, explains WebMD. Five tender points cluster around the nape of the neck, at the point of the hip, and just below the buttocks or at the beginnings of the thighs.

For a fibromyalgia diagnosis, a patient must have at least 11 of these tender points as well as other symptoms, such as fatigue, insomnia and deep muscle pain, notes WebMD.