Tender point count and total myalgic score in fibromyalgia: changes over a 28-day period

• Published in: Rheumatology international Vol. 27; no. 11; pp. 1011 - 1018
• Main Authors: McVeigh, J G, Finch, M B, Hurley, D A, Basford, J R, Sim, J, Baxter, G D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Springer Nature B.V 01.09.2007
• Subjects: Activities of Daily Living; Adult; Biodiversity; Disease Progression; Female; Fibromyalgia - classification; Fibromyalgia - complications; Fibromyalgia - physiopathology; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Pain Measurement; Pain Threshold; Prognosis; Prospective Studies; Reproducibility of Results; Sensitivity and Specificity; Severity of Illness Index; Sickness Impact Profile
• ISSN: 0172-8172; 1437-160X
• DOI: 10.1007/s00296-007-0404-8

Tender point count (TPC) is central to fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), and with total myalgic score (TMS) is often used to monitor the patient's condition. This study aimed to determine the stability of TPC and TMS over time, and to examine how well these measures reflected patients' perceptions of their condition. Twenty-four patients with FMS completed the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) and a visual analogue scale (VAS) measuring well-being, at entrance into the study, and 7 and 28 days later. There was no significant change in TPC (P = 0.074), FIQ score (P = 0.291) or VAS (P = 0.079) of well-being with time. However, mean TMS score did change over time (P = 0.021). There was no correlation between total FIQ score and the other measures (all P-values > 0.05). The significant change in TMS over time may reflect the natural fluctuation in the clinical presentation of FMS.