The first French study on fibromyalgia

In 2014, a large-scale study 1 was conducted to assess the impact of fibromyalgia, a form of complex arthritis, on sufferers’ day to day life.

This chronic disease causes pain all over along with constant fatigue. From insomnia and headaches to digestive problems, the symptoms are numerous. In France, 1.6% of adults suffer from fibromyalgia, according to the first French study ever conducted on this syndrome.

In total, 4,516 people participated in the study, responding to a questionnaire on line. The results enable us to finally quantify this disease and also assess how it affects the daily life of sufferers. They reveal that fibromyalgia primarily affects women (93%), of an average age of 48, and that patients principally suffer a sense of injustice (77%), cognitive disorders (62%), anxiety (52%), and depression (48%).

Nearly 77% of patients take some medication, primarily paracetamol associated with low-dose opiates (64%) or strong opiates (20%), etc. The European league against rheumatism, however, recommends prioritising non-drug treatments as pain medication has limited effect. By exercising the muscles, for example, the concentrations of glutamate, pyruvate and lactate in the muscles can be decreased, thus relieving some of the pain.

1 Françoise Laroche. Julien Guérin. Déborah Azoulay. La fibromyalgie en France: Vécu quotidien, fardeau professionnel et prise en charge. Enquête nationale auprès de 4516 patients. Revue du Rhumatisme 86, février 2018.