Fibromyalgia (FM) is a syndrome whose primary symptoms include chronic widespread muscle pain and fatigue. Muscles of neck and shoulder are often painful and fatigable. According to the literature, pain and fatigue of the muscles of the neck can induce proprioceptive troubles.

The aim of this study was to determine if patients with FM have more often a reduction of neck proprioceptive capacity.

We compared individuals affected by fibromyalgia to healthy individuals without any cervical problems. Cervicocephalic Relocation Test was used to determine deficit of proprioception. Head repositioning absolute value of the global error (AE) was calculated after 20 active head rotations (10 right, 10 left). According to Revel (1991), the cut-off of 4.5° error has been chosen. After calculation of the necessary sample size (power 80%), an overall of 20 subjects were included in the study (10 in each group), they were from 27 to 68 years old.

The 10 healthy subjects showed normal AE. Their AE was 2.5±1.0° (m±SD). Five of the 10 FM patients showed deficit (P<0.01) with AE>4.5°. Mean AE of FM patients was 4.5±1.3° (median=4.7°). Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire score was 47.5±17.6.

It would be interesting to pursue the study to seek a global proprioception alteration within subjects who suffer from fibromyalgia. Postural deficit described in literature could be occurred by proprioceptive deficit. Moreover, it would be also interesting to see the effects of a rehabilitation targeted on proprioception, pain and tiredness.