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Pain mediates the association between physical activity and the impact of fibromyalgia on daily function

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Abstract

This study quantified the association between recreational physical activity and daily function in women with fibromyalgia, and determined if this association is mediated by symptoms of pain, depression, or body mass. Twenty-three women diagnosed with fibromyalgia participated in an observational survey study. Recreational physical activity and the impact of fibromyalgia on daily function were assessed using the sport and leisure time physical activity subscales of the Baecke Physical Activity Questionnaire (BPAQ) and the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), respectively. Potential mediators of the association between physical activity and daily function were assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale for pain intensity (VAS-Pain), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and body mass index (BMI). BPAQ was inversely associated with FIQ (R 2 = 0.20) and VAS-Pain (R 2 = 0.39). VAS-Pain was positively associated with FIQ (R 2 = 0.23). The inverse association between BPAQ and FIQ was no longer significant after controlling for VAS-Pain. BDI was positively associated with FIQ (R 2 = 0.37), whereas BMI was not. BPAQ was not significantly associated with either BDI or BMI. These results indicate that the intensity of musculoskeletal pain, rather than depressive symptoms or body mass, mediates the association between physical activity and daily function among women with fibromyalgia.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Jackie Balter, Carly Nagel, Michaela Nofsinger, and Kelly Santo for their assistance with data collection. Funding was provided by a John J. Bonica Fellowship from the International Association for the Study of Pain to MU and a Career Development award from the Colorado Clinical and Translational Institute (NIH KL2RR025779) to KSM.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health, Exercise, and Sport Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA

    Masataka Umeda

  2. Center for Integrative Medicine, University of Colorado Hospital, Aurora, CO, USA

    Lisa W. Corbin

  3. Physical Therapy Program, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, MS C244, Education 2 South, Bldg #L28, 13121 E. 17th Ave, Room 3106, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA

    Katrina S. Maluf

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  1. Masataka Umeda
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  2. Lisa W. Corbin
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Correspondence to Katrina S. Maluf.

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Umeda, M., Corbin, L.W. & Maluf, K.S. Pain mediates the association between physical activity and the impact of fibromyalgia on daily function. Clin Rheumatol 34, 143–149 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-013-2386-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-013-2386-0

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