While there are literally hundreds of symptoms associated with Fibromyalgia, pain and fatigue are the two primary hallmarks of Fibromyalgia. They are the ones most often used to diagnose Fibromyalgia, and the two most commonly associated with Fibromyalgia in almost any context.
Pain and fatigue likely play together in a cycle, with pain increasing fatigue and fatigue increasing pain. Both of these symptoms lead to a decreased quality of life and decreased ability to participate in daily activities. Perceived ability to function is measured on most subjective tests of Fibromyalgia, and is often found to be significantly impaired in those with Fibromyalgia. Physical performance is often measured using a 6-minute walk test, or a sit-to-stand test. Perceived function does not typically correlate to physical function.
A 2016 study published in Arthritis Research & Therapy sought to determine what degree self-reports of pain and fatigue correlate to perceived function and performance tests. The hypothesis was that increased reports of pain and fatigue would equate to lower levels of functioning and performance. The study evaluated 94 women with Fibromyalgia.
Overall, the study found that there is a connection between movement and pain and fatigue. However, the responses varied quite a bit with some reporting decreased pain and fatigue with movement, and others reporting increases (or no change). They did find that pain and fatigue explained up to 43% of the variance in function among the women with Fibromyalgia.
Of course, multiple factors impact pain severity including anxiety, temperature, and even age. The main take-away here is that this study did find a correlation between pain severity and decreased function and performance. The more we hurt the less we can move. However, it’s always important to note that correlation does not equal causation and we already know that pain and function exist in a cycle. We don’t know which one has the greater impact on the other.
Leave a Reply