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The prevalence of fibromyalgia and its relation with headache characteristics in episodic migraine

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Abstract

The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of fibromyalgia (FM) in patients with episodic migraine and to evaluate the relationship between migraine characteristics and FM. One hundred and eighteen consecutive patients (mean age = 38 years, 75 % women) fulfilling the International Classification of Headache Disorders-II criteria for migraine with (n = 22) and without (n = 96) aura from an outpatient headache clinic of a university hospital were evaluated. The diagnosis of FM was made based on the 1990 American College of Rheumatology classification criteria. Participants completed some self-administered questionnaires ascertaining sociodemographics, headache severity, frequency and duration, headache-related disability (Headache Impact Test [HIT-6]) and Migraine Disability Assessment Scale, widespread musculoskeletal pain (visual analog scale), depression (Beck depression inventory), anxiety (Beck anxiety inventory), sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), fatigue (Multidimensional Assessment of Fatigue), and quality of life (Short Form-36 Health Survey [SF-36]). In patients with FM, the tender point count and the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire were employed. FM was diagnosed in 37 (31.4 %) of the patients. FM comorbidity was equally distributed across patients with and without aura. Severity of migraine headache, HIT-6, and anxiety were especially associated with FM comorbidity. Patients suffering from migraine plus FM reported lower scores on all items of the SF-36. This study indicates that the assessment and management of coexisting FM should be taken into account in the assessment and management of migraine, particularly when headache is severe or patients suffer from widespread musculoskeletal pain.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Meram Medical School, Necmettin Erbakan University, Yunus Emre Mh, 42080, Konya, Turkey

    Sami Küçükşen, Ali Sallı, Ender Salbaş, Havva Turaç Cingöz, Ömer Nas & Hatice Uğurlu

  2. Department of Neurology, Meram Medical School, Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya, Turkey

    Emine Genç

  3. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Konya Education and Research Hospital, Konya, Turkey

    Halim Yılmaz

  4. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Beyşehir State Hospital, Konya, Turkey

    İlknur Albayrak Gezer

  5. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Karaman State Hospital, Karaman, Turkey

    Ali Yavuz Karahan

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  1. Sami Küçükşen
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  2. Emine Genç
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Correspondence to Sami Küçükşen.

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Küçükşen, S., Genç, E., Yılmaz, H. et al. The prevalence of fibromyalgia and its relation with headache characteristics in episodic migraine. Clin Rheumatol 32, 983–990 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-013-2218-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-013-2218-2

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