Pain relief improves fibromyalgia sufferers’ lives

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – New research indicates that
moderate-to-severe fibromyalgia pain can dramatically impair
health-related quality of life for people with the condition.
The good news is that effective pain relief can greatly improve
the situation.

Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition marked by widespread
muscular and joint pain, as well as specific “tender” points
that typically occur in the neck, spine, hips and shoulders.
Pain is not the only symptom, as sleep disturbances and
fatigue, depression and irritable bowel syndrome are often
present.

The latest findings, which appear in the medical journal
Arthritis & Rheumatism, are based on an analysis of data from a
clinical trial comparing the combination painkiller
tramadol-plus-acetaminophen (brand name, Ultracet) with
inactive “placebo” treatment for relief of fibromyalgia pain.

The health-related quality of life of the 313 men and women
who participated in the study was assessed with two
standardized questionnaires and compared with the quality of
life of a national sample of adults and of people with heart
failure.

In all areas of quality of life the fibromyalgia patients
scored lower than the national sample of adults, and lower in
many aspects than heart failure patients as well, Dr. Robert M.
Bennett, from Oregon Health and Science University in Portland,
and colleagues report.

As anticipated, the degree of fibromyalgia pain was
directly related to the impairment in health-related quality of
life seen, but improvement in pain severity with
tramadol/acetaminophen treatment led to better quality of life.

“This study provides evidence that reducing pain can reduce
the burden of fibromyalgia during a 3-month period,” the team
says. Further studies are needed to see if addressing non-pain
symptoms of fibromyalgia can provide additional improvements in
health-related quality of life.

SOURCE: Arthritis & Rheumatism, August 15, 2005.