Fibromyalgia

Approximately one third of patients with temporomandibular disorders had comorbid fibromyalgia.

Results of a database search reveal the management of pain symptoms remains a continued source of frustration and an unmet need for patients with fibromyalgia.

In the November 2023 rheumatology month in review, our editorial team highlights ACR conference coverage, the latest updates in fibromyalgia, and advancements in patient care.

At 12 weeks, significantly more patients with fibromyalgia receiving the smartphone-based intervention reported clinical improvements compared with the control group.

Findings may be related to a variety of influences including a slower life pace during the pandemic and resilience to prolonged stressors.

In a new study, decreased plasma EGR1 protein levels and patients with fibromyalgia had a statistically significant relationship.

Resilience of participants with fibromyalgia had a stronger protective association among participants with average null or mild pain than with moderate or severe pain.

Common themes included preferring a standard list of symptoms, active training programs, and the desire for community.

Patients with juvenile onset fibromyalgia and joint hypermobility demonstrated poorer overall functioning compared with those without joint hypermobility.

Dr Daniel J. Clauw provides an overview of pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic therapeutic approaches for the management of fibromyalgia and comments on challenges and unmet needs for patients.

Daniel J. Clauw, MD, describes the role the brain and CNS play in controlling the setting of nociplastic pain in patients with fibromyalgia and highlights increased patient sensitivity to sensory stimuli.

A clinically significant percentage of patients with fibromyalgia in the immediate intervention group had greater improvements in quality of life compared with patients in the delayed cohort.

Fibromyalgia was 3 times more common among patients with rheumatoid arthritis and Long COVID.

As fibromyalgia impact increased, self-stigmatization scores increased proportionally.

Results demonstrated rumination induction after physical activity stunted patients’ recovery regarding discomfort and pain intensity compared with patients using a distraction method.

Despite the lack of association with all-cause mortality, this research emphasizes the value of focusing on patients’ psychological well-being due to increased suicide risk among fibromyalgia patients.

Robert Edwards, PhD, discusses how cognitive behavioral therapy effectively reduced pain catastrophizing and improved quality of life in patients with fibromyalgia.

A retrospective analysis of data from the US National Inpatient Sample revealed the prevalence of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome was significantly increased in patients with IBS compared to those without IBS.

The Patient Self-Report Survey for the Assessment of Fibromyalgia illustrated its accuracy in determining pain sensitivity and psychological factors in patients with shoulder or low back pain.

The overall cardiovascular burden was significantly higher in the fibromyalgia cohort when compared with the general Italian population.

At the 6-month mark, a significant reduction was reported in both the widespread pain index and the symptom severity scale in patients with fibromyalgia undergoing a gluten-free diet.

Patients with fibromyalgia receiving CBT experienced significant improvements in pain interference and larger decreases in pain catastrophizing post-treatment.

Fatigue was positively correlated with the frequency, duration, severity, and chronicity of migraine episodes, as well as excessive daytime sleepiness.

A low certainty of clinically relevant positive effects of aerobic and mixed exercise training for reducing mobility difficulties was observed in patients with fibromyalgia at the end of the intervention.

The subscales presenting the highest scores in patients with fibromyalgia were foot pain and symptom intensity.

Cardiorespiratory and muscular parameters were improved after exercise rehabilitation in patients with long COVID, patients with fibromyalgia, and those with coronary artery disease.

No statistical differences in pain or quality of life were observed between patients with fibromyalgia receiving posterior tibial nerve stimulation intervention and controls.

Patients with fibromyalgia reported poorer subjective sleep quality compared with controls, although accelerometry parameters showed no significant differences between groups.

Fibromyalgia symptoms were reduced at both 4 and 12 weeks in patients receiving tocilizumab treatment.