Comorbidity of fibromyalgia and cervical myofascial pain syndrome.
From: Clin Rheumatol. 2010 Apr;29(4):405-11.
The aims of this study are to determine the frequency of fibromyalgia syndrome in patients with chronic cervical myofascial pain and to investigate the fibromyalgia syndrome characteristics in chronic cervical myofascial pain patients. Ninty-three patients with chronic cervical myofascial pain and 30 age-matched healthy women were included in this study. Main outcome measures included visual analog scale, Beck Depression Inventory, and pain pressure thresholds. Chronic cervical myofascial pain patients were evaluated for the existence of fibromyalgia syndrome. The severity of fibromyalgia syndrome was assessed with total myalgic score and control point score. Most common clinical characteristics of fibromyalgia syndrome were noted. Of the 93 chronic cervical myofascial pain subjects, 22 (23.6%) patients fulfilled the classification criteria for fibromyalgia syndrome. Number of tender points were higher, while total myalgic score and control point score values were lower in comorbid chronic cervical myofascial pain and fibromyalgia syndrome patients than regional chronic cervical myofascial pain group. There were statistically significant differences between regional chronic cervical myofascial pain patients and comorbid chronic cervical myofascial pain and fibromyalgia syndrome patients regarding presence of fatigue and irritable bowel syndrome. There was no statistically significant difference between patient groups regarding visual analog scale values. Beck Depression Inventory values of the regional chronic cervical myofascial pain were significantly lower than comorbid chronic cervical myofascial pain and fibromyalgia syndrome patients. In conclusion, the authors found that nearly a quarter of chronic cervical myofascial pain patients were comorbid with fibromyalgia syndrome, and psychological and comorbid symptoms were more prominent in comorbid patients. The authors thought that, these two syndromes might be overlapping conditions and as a peripheral pain generator or inducer of central sensitisation, myofascial pain syndrome might lead to fibromyalgia syndrome or precipitate and worsen the fibromyalgia syndrome symptoms.
