Gait disorders in patients with fibromyalgia

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Rheumatology
• Human Movement Science

Background:

• Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition affecting pain and fatigue, with potential impacts on motor function.
• Gait analysis offers objective biomechanical data, but its application in fibromyalgia is less explored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantitatively compare gait parameters in women with fibromyalgia versus matched healthy controls.
• To identify specific gait alterations indicative of fibromyalgia.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a patented gait analysis system (Locometrix Centaure Metrix) for precise measurement.
• Evaluated relaxed walking in 14 women diagnosed with fibromyalgia and 14 age-, sex-, height-, and weight-matched controls.

Main Results:

• Fibromyalgia patients demonstrated significantly impaired gait, including reduced walking speed (P<0.001).
• Key contributing factors were decreased stride length and cycle frequency (P<0.001).
• Bradykinesia emerged as a highly distinguishing factor (P<0.001), alongside affected gait regularity (P<0.01).

Conclusions:

• Quantitative gait analysis provides valuable, objective data for assessing fibromyalgia.
• Specific gait variables, like regularity, offer insights independent of demographic factors.