The 6-Minute Walk Test in Female Fibromyalgia Patients: Relationship With Tenderness, Symptomatology, Quality of Life, and Coping Strategies

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the 6-minute walk test (6-MWT) and tenderness, symptomatology, quality of life, and coping strategies in women with fibromyalgia. One hundred eighteen women with fibromyalgia aged 51.9 +/- 7.3 years participated in the study. The examination included the 6-MWT, tender points, and the following questionnaires: Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), Short-Form Health Survey 36 (SF-36), and Vanderbilt Pain Management Inventory. Fair correlations between the 6-MWT and the subscales of physical impairment (FIQ) and physical function (SF-36) were observed (rho - 0.365 and 0.347, respectively, both p < .001). The 6-MWT showed a weak relationship with tenderness (rho 0.201 and -0.191 for algometer score and tender points count, respectively, both p < .05). The relationship between the 6-MWT and global score of FIQ, and FIQ subscales of pain and fatigue were weak (rho - 0.201, -0.211, and -0.226, respectively, all p < .05). The 6-MWT showed a weak relationship with bodily pain and vitality scales of SF-36 (rho 0.256 and 0.258, respectively, both p = .005) and with passive and active coping strategies (rho - 0.255 and 0.223, both p <. 05). This study in women with fibromyalgia shows significant relationships, ranging from weak to fair, between the 6-MWT and tenderness, symptomatology, quality of life, and coping strategies. These findings indicate that functional capacity, as assessed by the distance walked in 6 minutes, might be important when planning the assessment, treatment, and monitoring of patients with fibromyalgia. (C) 2013 by the American Society for Pain Management Nursing