Page 75 - JCTR-11-5

Journal of Clinical and

Translational Research

ORIGINAL ARTICLE
The impact of fibromyalgia: A cross-sectional

examination across different life domains

Carlos Eduardo Consentino Machado and Guilherme Welter Wendt*
Health Sciences Center, Postgraduate Program in Applied Health Sciences, Western Paraná State
University, Francisco Beltrão, Paraná, Brazil

Abstract
Background: Fibromyalgia is a complex, multifactorial chronic pain syndrome
characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain. Its symptoms significantly
impact patients’ quality of life, functional capacity, autonomy, and the ability to work
or engage in leisure activities. Aims: Given the numerous hypotheses regarding
the etiology of fibromyalgia, the difficulties faced by healthcare professionals in its
diagnosis and management, and its substantial negative impact on the quality of
life of those affected, this study aims to characterize the patient sample and assess
the condition’s impact across various life domains. Methods: A cross-sectional study
was conducted with participants of both sexes, achieving a statistical power of 99%.
Results: A higher prevalence of fibromyalgia was observed in individuals who reported
being in a stable union (71.76%) and who possessed higher education (45.78%). The
*Corresponding author:
Guilherme Welter Wendt majority (56.47%) reported “very severe” pain. Significant differences were found in
(guilherme.wendt@unioeste.br) all evaluated domains: leisure, work, self-care, ability to exercise, functionality, and
quality of life, indicating a significant deterioration following fibromyalgia diagnosis.
Citation: Machado CEC,
Wendt GW. The impact of Conclusion: The observed pattern of functional decline across various domains
fibromyalgia: A cross-sectional supports the allostatic load model of chronic pain and provides empirical evidence
examination across different for the fear-avoidance model. Relevance for patients: Integrated treatments
life domains. J Clin Transl Res.
2025;11(5):69-78. addressing physical and psychological aspects simultaneously may be, therefore,
doi: 10.36922/JCTR025290042 more effective.
Received: July 19, 2025
Revised: August 12, 2025 Keywords: Epidemiology; Chronic pain; Quality of life; Public health
Accepted: August 18, 2025
Published online: September 2,
2025 1. Introduction
Copyright: © 2025 Author(s).
This is an open-access article Fibromyalgia is a complex, multifactorial chronic pain syndrome primarily characterized
distributed under the terms of the by widespread musculoskeletal pain without evidence of inflammation in the painful
Creative Commons AttributionNon- areas. It affects 2–10% of the global population, with a higher prevalence among
1-3
Commercial 4.0 International (CC
BY-NC 4.0), which permits all women. 2,4,5 In Brazil, the general population prevalence is reported to be 2.5%. 1
non-commercial use, distribution,
and reproduction in any medium, Classic nociplastic pain is a hallmark of fibromyalgia, manifesting as hyperalgesia,
provided the original work is an exaggerated perception of pain in response to mildly painful stimuli, and allodynia,
properly cited. the perception of pain from normally non-painful stimuli. 4,6-8 Beyond pain, fibromyalgia
Publisher’s Note: AccScience is associated with fatigue, sleep disturbances, and cognitive dysfunction, all of which
Publishing remains neutral with significantly impact patients’ quality of life. 9-11 These symptoms often lead to a decline
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional in self-care, functional capacity, autonomy, and the ability to work or engage in leisure
affiliations. activities, thereby exacerbating the overall burden on patients. 12-14 To date, no objective

Volume 11 Issue 5 (2025) 69 doi: 10.36922/JCTR025290042