Fibromyalgia and Tempur-Pedic®
What is Fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is an increasingly recognized chronic pain illness characterized by widespread musculoskeletal aches, pain and stiffness, soft tissue tenderness, general fatigue and sleep disturbances. The most common sites of pain include the neck, back, shoulders, pelvic girdle and hands, but any body part can be involved. Fibromyalgia patients experience a range of symptoms of varying intensities that wax and wane over time.
Who is affected?
It is estimated that approximately 3-6% of the U.S. population has Fibromyalgia. Although a higher percentage of women of all ages and races are affected, it does strike men and children. Because of its debilitating nature, Fibromyalgia has a serious impact on patients’ families, friends and employers, as well as society at large.
What are the symptoms?
Fibromyalgia is characterized by the presence of multiple tender points and a constellation of symptoms.
Pain:
The pain of Fibromyalgia is profound, widespread and chronic. It knows no boundaries, migrating to all parts of the body and varying in intensity. Fibromyalgia pain has been described as deep muscular aching, throbbing, twitching, stabbing and shooting pain that defines the very existence of the Fibromyalgia patient. Neurological complaints such as numbness, tingling and burning are often present and add to the discomfort of the patient. The severity of the pain and stiffness is often worse in the morning. Aggravating factors that affect pain include cold/humid weather, non-restorative sleep, physical and mental fatigue, excessive physical activity, physical inactivity, anxiety and stress.
Fatigue:
In today’s world many people complain of fatigue; however, the fatigue of Fibromyalgia is more extreme than simply being tired. It is an all-encompassing exhaustion which can feel like every ounce of energy has been drained from the body. The exhaustion from Fibromyalgia can leave the patient with a limited ability to function both mentally and physically.
Sleep Problems:
Many Fibromyalgia patients have an associated sleep disorder that prevents them from getting deep, restful and restorative sleep. Medical researchers have documented specific and distinctive abnormalities in the Stage Four deep sleep of Fibromyalgia patients. During sleep, individuals with Fibromyalgia are constantly interrupted by bursts of awake-like brain activity, which limits the amount of time spent in deep sleep.
Source National Fibromyalgia Association
Fibromyalgia Patients Find Relief with Tempur-Pedic® Mattress
A Clinical Study of patients with Fibromyalgia was conducted:
Five subjects with Fibromyalgia were given a twin-sized Tempur-Pedic mattresses for a two week period; each subject kept a Sleep Diary to record subjective information
Due to the sample size, this pilot study cannot (statistically) support claims of efficacy for any purpose. However, clear trends can be observed:
- Subjects had a 29% increase in the average sleep period after using the TEMPUR Med® Mattress for a 14 day period
- Subjects had a 38% decrease in the incidents of awakening
- Subjects reported a 60% reduction in pain
- On the final night, each of the subjects reported less pain, or a value of “0” representing a five-fold reduction in severity
- Sleep quality increased 20% between the initial night and the final night
Patients suffering Fibromyalgia have been shown to gain relief using a Tempur-Pedic mattress. They could view the mattress as a form of Fibromyalgia treatment. An exploratory study with five patients undergoing Fibromyalgia treatment was done. The study recognized that insomnia is a frequent complaint of individuals with the syndrome. They report difficulty in falling asleep and when they do, sleep is often disturbed because of chronic pain. It is theorized that if this pain could be reduced, without the side-effects of heavy medication, these individuals could see improvement in sleep quality that might improve daily functioning. To this end, it was determined to evaluate a mattress shown to be effective in reducing the pain and discomfort associated with cancer and its treatment.
The Tempur-Pedic mattress was selected for review. The material this mattress is made of conforms to the body secondary to the forces of time, gravitational mass, and body temperature. Within a reasonably short time, the conformation results in an infinitely variable “body mold” that distributes pressure over a substantially greater surface area than would a traditional mattress, effectively reducing the pressure at any single point. Reported impact of using the Tempur-Pedic mattress includes: reducing or alleviating shoulder tension; arm pain; swollen feet and calves; circulatory problems resulting in pressure ulcers; back pain; aching knees; sciatica; and other maladies related to sleeping. Because of successes in treating an array of medical conditions, in addition to restoring and improving the overall quality of sleep, the Tempur-Pedic mattress may also be beneficial to patients with Fibromyalgia.
I. Study Design
Five subjects, each having been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, were provided a standard twin size Tempur-Pedic mattresses for a two-week evaluation period. Along with the mattress, a data collection instrument (Sleep Diary) was provided to collect demographic information and allow the communication of objective and subjective data on a daily basis. The objective questions were intended to support a quantitative assessment of the number of hours slept, the incidents of sleep interruptions, whether or not pain was experienced while sleeping, and whether or not the subject awakened refreshed after an evening’s sleep.
In addition to the quantitative data, each subject was provided space to record subjective information which was intended to support qualitative analysis.
II. Results
Due to the sample size, this pilot study cannot (statistically) support claims of efficacy for any purpose. However, clear trends can be observed in both the quantitative and qualitative analyses. The averages indicate improvements in sleep quality, hours of sleep, and reduction in pain levels experienced while sleeping. The preponderance of comments offered by the subjects were indicative of enhanced quality of life.
- 29% increase in the average sleep period was observed after using the TEMPUR Med mattress for a 14 day period.
- 38% decrease in the incidents of awakening was observed
- 60% reduction in pain was reported by the subjects
- On the final night, each of the subjects reported less pain, or a value of “0” representing a five-fold reduction in severity.
- Increase in sleep quality of 20% was observed between the initial night and the final night.
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