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Cited by 90Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ResearchMusculoskeletal pain and rehabilitationMyofascial pain diagnosis and treatment

Fibromyalgia Syndrome Pain in Men and Women: A Scoping Review

Open access
Ruschak, Ilga, Montesó-Curto, Pilar, Rosselló, Lluís, Aguilar Martín, Carina, Sánchez-Montesó, Laura, Toussaint, Loren·2023·Healthcare
DOI 10.3390/healthcare11020223PMC PMC9859454
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Abstract

Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a chronic musculoskeletal disorder of unknown etiology that affects up to 5.0% of the world population. It has a high female predominance, between 80 and 96%. Due to the low number of diagnosed men, research work has focused mainly on women. The extensive body of literature on sex differences in pain in the general population suggests that men and women differ in their responses to pain, with greater sensitivity to pain and a higher risk of clinical pain commonly observed among women. This review aims to: (1) determine how pain is assessed or what types of questionnaires are used, (2) examine whether there are differences in pain characteristics between men and women with FMS and (3) describe how pain is conceptualized or manifested in patients at a qualitative level. In this study, the scoping review method of articles published in the last 5 years (2016–2022) was used. Ten articles were included. The most used questionnaires and scales to assess pain were the PVAS (Pain Visual Analogue Scale) and the FIQ (Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire). On the other hand, five categories were obtained: (1) qualities of pain, (2) uncertainty and chaos, (3) pain as an aggravating factor, (4) adaptation to the new reality and (5) the communication of pain. It has been observed that both subjective perception and widespread pain are higher in women. Men, on the other hand, have a worse impact of the pathology, more painful experiences and more catastrophic thoughts about pain. An updated knowledge of pain in FMS and whether it differs according to sex would be beneficial for clinicians to make an earlier diagnosis and treatment and, in turn, benefit patients suffering from this chronic disease.

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Crossref · 10.3390/healthcare11020223

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40 of 41 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • In a few studies, characteristics of fibromyalgia syndrome pain were investigated in both sexes, and a higher symptom load including more cases with generalized pain was reported in women than in men.

    “In a few studies, characteristics of FMS pain were investigated in both sexes, and a higher symptom load including more cases with generalized pain was reported in women than in men.38,55”

    From Pain and small fiber pathology in men with fibromyalgia syndrome (2024) · cites this paper as [38]

    The Results report that six included studies examined participants of both sexes, and the Discussion reports higher subjective pain and generalized-pain index scores in women. But the Discussion also reports worse symptom-severity scores in men, so it does not support a general claim of higher symptom load in women. A higher generalized-pain index score also does not establish that more women had generalized pain. (LLM, conf=0.87)

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  • The authors showed a greater impact of pain on male patients with fibromyalgia syndrome in terms of stronger experience and more catastrophizing thoughts about pain than in women with fibromyalgia syndrome.

    “Notably, the authors showed a greater impact of pain on male patients with FMS in terms of stronger experience and more catastrophizing thoughts about pain than in women with FMS.”

    From Pain and small fiber pathology in men with fibromyalgia syndrome (2024) · cites this paper as [38]

  • The pain phenotype in men with FMS is in line with that previously reported in women with FMS but contrasts with earlier studies that identified mostly stabbing and localized pain in men with FMS.

    “These data are in line with the pain phenotype of women with FMS as previously reported,15 but in contrast with earlier studies, which identified a mostly stabbing and localized rather than widespread pain in men with FMS.38”

    From Pain and small fiber pathology in men with fibromyalgia syndrome (2024) · cites this paper as [38]

  • Earlier studies also showed high FIQ scores in male FMS patients, indicating a great impact on pain, in line with the authors' results.

    “Earlier studies38,55 also showed high FIQ scores in male patients with FMS indicating a great impact on pain, which is in line with our results.”

    From Pain and small fiber pathology in men with fibromyalgia syndrome (2024) · cites this paper as [38]

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Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. [19]Mease P. Arnold L.M. Bennett R. Boonen A. Buskila D. Carville S. Chappell A. Choy E. Clauw D. Dadabhoy D. Fibromyalgia síndrome J. Rheumatol. 2007 34 1415 1425 17552068
  2. [34]Huskisson E.C. Visual analogue scale Pain Measurement and Assessment Melzack R. Raven Press New York, NY, USA 1983 33 37

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Authors
Ruschak, I., Montesó-Curto, P., Rosselló, L., Aguilar Martín, C., Sánchez-Montesó, L., & Toussaint, L.
Affiliations
  • Hospital Sant Pau i Santa Tecla (ES)
  • Primary Care in Institut Català de la Salut (ICS), 43500 Tortosa, Spain
  • Hospital Universitari de Santa Maria (ES)
  • Research Support Unit, University Institute for Primary Care Research (IDIAP Jordi Gol), 43500 Tortosa, Spain
  • University of Rome Tor Vergata (IT)
  • Luther College (US)
ORCID
Venue
Healthcare
Publisher
MDPI AG
Published
2023-01-11
Volume
11
Issue
2
Pages
223
ISSN
2227-9032 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.3390/healthcare11020223
PMC
PMC9859454
OpenAlex
W4315781275
Cited by
90
References
40
Citations by year
2026: 29 · 2025: 27 · 2024: 22 · 2023: 12
FWCI
4.11
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Healthcare (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Musculoskeletal pain and rehabilitation
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Myofascial pain diagnosis and treatment
Keywords
fibromyalgia, sex differences, pain perception, pain assessment, pain questionnaires, pain catastrophizing, chronic pain, pain communication, pain conceptualization

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