Prevalence of Fibromyalgia Syndrome in Migraine Patients

Abstract

Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a chronic pain syndrome of unknown aetiology characterized by diffuse pain over more than 3 months and tenderness in specific sites named tender points. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and severity of FMS among patients suffering from episodic migraine. Ninety-two consecutive patients (20 male, 72 female) fulfilling the International Headache Society criteria for migraine with and without aura from a tertiary headache clinic were evaluated. A headache and generalized pain history was recorded, tender points were evaluated by thumb palpation. The diagnosis of FMS was made based on the 1990 American College of Rheumatology classification criteria for FMS. Sixteen (22.2%) of the female patients and none of the male patients were diagnosed as suffering from FMS. Migraine severity and characteristics were similar to other female migraine patients. Patients suffering from migraine-FMS had lower quality of life scores and higher levels of mental distress. A high incidence of FMS was found among female migraine patients but not in males. The coexistence of FMS should be considered when choosing a prophylactic migraine therapy.

Neurovascular Pains: Implications of Migraine for the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon

“…The magnitude of this association increased with the frequency of headache, with individuals who experience headaches on 15 or more days per month (women: OR=5.3; 95%CI: 4.4-6.5 while men OR=3.6; 95%CI: 2.9-4.5). Furthermore, a high prevalence of fibromyalgia has been found among subjects with migraine [74,75].This increased odds of having co-morbid musculoskeletal pain when diagnosed with migraine was also observed among children and young adults. In a cross-sectional population-based study, including over 9000 adolescents and young adults revealed a strong association between headache felt more than 30 days per year and frequent low back pain (OR=3.4; 95%CI: 2.3-5.0) [76].…”

“…The magnitude of this association increased with the frequency of headache, with individuals who experience headaches on 15 or more days per month (women: OR=5.3; 95%CI: 4.4-6.5 while men OR=3.6; 95%CI: 2.9-4.5). Furthermore, a high prevalence of fibromyalgia has been found among subjects with migraine [74,75].…”

“…Migraine has consistently been shown to be associated with other chronic pains including TMD and other musculoskeletal pain disorders [70,74,75]. Emerging evidence is suggestive that migraine headaches may be a risk factor for the development of TMD [71,78], which implies that the phenotypical expression of migraine results in an alteration in central processing of stimuli including nociception.…”

Fibromyalgia Syndrome in Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain

“…Ifergane et al (16) reported that, FMS was found in 22% percent of female patients with migraine and, patients suffering from migraine-FMS had lower quality of life scores and higher levels of mental distress. Kozanoğlu et al (17) showed that the prevalence of FMS was 18.9% in patients with hepatitis C infection.…”

Migraine and restless legs syndrome: current perspectives

“…7,27 In addition, a large number of diseases have been associated with migraine, including fibromyalgia, 28 depression, 29 sleep disorders, 30,31 and other disturbances of movement mediated by dopaminergic pathways. 32,33 These associations suggest that migraine may share physiopathological aspects with other diseases, stimulating the investigation of these comorbidities.…”