Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic syndrome characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain that causes a significant reduction in functional capacity, affecting thus health and quality of life (QOL).
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the performance of FM patients in the 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) and its relation with health and QOL.
Thirty-six FM patients (all women), differentiated by degree of severity of disease, and 14 healthy women were evaluated. Distance walked in the 6MWT, cardiorespiratory responses, heart rate responses, kinematic parameters of gait, the results of the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), and the results of the Short-Form Healthy Survey (SF-36) were analyzed.
Women with FM covered a shorter distance in the 6MWT, had a lower cardiorespiratory response, and had lower spatio-temporal parameters of gait than healthy women. No correlation was found in FM patients between the total FIQ score and the distance walked in the 6MWT.
The analysis of performance parameters in the 6MWT may be an element of clinical relevance in FM patients.