A cross-sectional survey assessing sources of movement-related fear among people with fibromyalgia syndrome

The goals of this study were to evaluate factors contributing to movement-related fear and to explore relationships among these factors, function and wellness, in a widespread population of people with FM. This was an internet survey of individuals with FM. Respondents completed a battery of surveys including the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire-Revised (FIQR), Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK), Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC), Primary Care Posttraumatic Stress Disorder screen (PC-PTSD), Vertigo Symptom Scale (VSS-SF), a joint hypermobility syndrome screen (JHS), and screening questions related to obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD), physical activity, work status, and demographics. Analysis was comprised of descriptive statistics, Pearson product-moment correlations, and linear regression. Over a 2-year period, 1,125 people (97.6% female) completed the survey battery. Kinesiophobia was present in 72.9% of the respondents, balance confidence was compromised in 74.8%, PTSD likely in 60.4%, joint hypermobility syndrome probable in 46.6%, and OCPD tendencies in 26.8%. The total FIQR and FIQR perceived function subscores were highly correlated (p  0.4) with pain, kinesiophobia, balance confidence, and vertigo. Reported activity level had poor correlation (r < 0.25) with all measured variables. Pain, ABC, VSS, and TSK predicted FIQR and FIQR-pf, explaining 65 and 48% of the variance, respectively. Kinesiophobia, balance complaints, vertigo, PTSD, and joint hypermobility were common in this population of people with FM. Sources of movement-related fear correlated to overall wellness and perceived function as measured by the FIQR and FIQR-pf.