A comparison of three types of neck support in fibromyalgia patients.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the effectiveness of 3 types of neck support for patients with fibromyalgia (FMS) and their preference for the type of support.


METHODS
Thirty-five patients with FMS chose the order of application and used each type of neck support for a 2-week period, followed by a 2-week washout. The same schedule was repeated a second time. The neck supports included a Shape of Sleep pillow, two neck ruffs with one standard pillow, and a single standard pillow. All subjects received a physiotherapy treatment and educational program in the home. Outcome measures included visual analog scales (VAS) for neck pain and quality of sleep, the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), and a neck and shoulder pain distribution diagram.


RESULTS
Analysis using Friedman's 2-way analysis of variance revealed no significant differences in any outcome measure, although there was a trend towards improvement in the FIQ and VAS neck pain and quality of sleep scores for some patients. Most participants (62.9%) preferred the Shape of Sleep pillow, 20.0% preferred cervical ruffs with one standard pillow, and 17.1% preferred a single standard pillow.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study are inconclusive due to the small sample size. However, from a patient's perspective, neck support is an important part of a comprehensive physiotherapy program. Most participants preferred the more rigid support of a Shape of Sleep pillow. Further research into the efficacy of the use of neck support in people with FMS is warranted.
Ambrogio
N
N
Arthritis Society, Consultation and Rehabilitation Service, London, Ontario, Canada.
Cuttiford
J
J
Lineker
S
S
Li
L
L
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001915:Braces / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D012890:Sleep