Prevalence Of Fibromyalgia In The Workplace With Associated Symptoms And Patterns Of Activity

Abstract

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic pain syndrome characterized by diffuse pain, sleep disturbances, fatigue and multiple tender points. The prevalence of FM in the general US population has been reported to be 2% and is 6 times more common in women than men. FM patients report that chronic pain and fatigue adversely affect their quality of life and limit their ability to work. PURPOSE This study was undertaken to determine the prevalence, physical activity patterns and clinical characteristics of FM at several work sites in Arkansas. METHODS Nine organizations with more than 100 employees volunteered for this study. A total of 1079 employees completed the self-administered FM questionnaire. The frequency and severity of the symptoms (i.e. multiple tender points, sleep disturbances, morning stiffness, numbness and tingling, migraines, etc.) were assessed using a 5-point Likert scale. Higher summed scores indicated greater frequency and severity of symptoms. Participants identified the factors that precipitated immediate pain. Symptomatic data was obtained from both FM patients and non-FM populations along with hours of sleep, morning tiredness, and physical activity. Pain in different musculoskeletal areas was assessed in the questionnaire. RESULTS One thousand and seventy eight responses were analyzed (mean age 43.57 years of age, SD +/−11.72) with 70.8% being women. The prevalence of FM was 3.9%. Since 3.2% were not sure, it is possible that the prevalence may have been as high as 7.1%. The diagnosis was much more common in women than men (4.7% in women and 1.9% in men). Fibromyalgia patients scored significantly higher (p<0.001) on the severity and frequency of symptoms compared to the non-FM population. FM patients demonstrated a significantly (p<0.001) greater number of factors that precipitate immediate pain, and displayed a greater numbers of painful tender points (p<0.001). FM patients reported significantly (p<0.001) fewer hours of sleep compared to the non-FM population. Physical activity patterns between the FM and non-FM population were identical. CONCLUSIONS Our results substantiate that mainly women are affected by FM. The most common characteristic symptoms experienced daily by fibro patients were multiple tender points, sleep disturbances, chronic fatigue, morning stiffness and morning tiredness. FM patients were significantly different from the non-patients in the severity and frequency of appearance of all clinical symptoms (p<0.001). Modifications in the work situation including exercise breaks may be necessary to avoid negative consequences, such as increased pain, lower motivation, and frustration in work settings.