A COMPARISON OF 3 TYPES OF NECK SUPPORT IN FIBROMYALGIA PATIENTS

Objective. To determine the effectiveness of 3 types of neck support f or 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, fo llowed by a 2-week washout. The same schedule was repeated a second ti me. 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 a nd 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 differe nces in any outcome measure, although there was a trend towards improv ement in the FIQ and VAS neck pain and quality of sleep scores for som e patients. Most participants (62.9%) preferred the Shape of Sleep pil low, 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 comprehe nsive physiotherapy program. Most participants preferred the more rigi d support of a Shape of Sleep pillow. Further research into the effica cy of the use of neck support in people with FMS is warranted.