Pain, Nature of Task, and Body Part Used in Fibromyalgia Syndrome

SUMMARY

Objectives: There has been much controversy about the association between pain and performance of repetitive work. We set out to examine association of pain with body part used and nature of task, in the performance of repetitive tasks by persons with fibromyalgia [FMS].

Method: The Fine Detailed Work Action and Posture task analysis system (1) was used to quantify mean duration of tool holding and number of tool releases per hour, in three one handed repetitive tasks which differed in these requirements. In a cross-over Latin square design, 25 women with FMS and 20 age/gender matched controls, each performed these tasks and one non-repetitive control task for one hour, one per week on four consecutive weeks. Pain was measured by body quadrant.

Results: In the dominant upper quadrant, in FMS subjects, statistically significant mean increase in the sum of pain over all sites within the quadrant occurred after all tasks, being greatest after the focal continuous holding task and, in descending order, after the 15 minute alternation between the focal and grasp/release task: 10 action alternation: and non-manual tasks. P-values ascended in the same order.

Increase in the sum of pain in the non-dominant upper quadrant was statistically significant only after the focal and 10 action alternation combination, and after no task combinations in either lower quadrant.

Conclusion: Greater increase in pain is associated with the active upper quadrant than with the three inactive quadrants in all tasks and with tasks containing less variety of action and fewer releases/hour of items held.

KEYWORDS:

• Pain location
• repetitive work
• fibromyalgia