German Clinical Trials Register

Acronym/abbreviation of the study

Myalgia in myopathies

URL of the study

No Entry

Brief summary in lay language

Muscle diseases (myopathies) have a varied clinical appearance and can manifest themselves in different age groups. A distinction is made between inflammatory and congenital myopathies. What these diseases have in common is a reduction in muscle strength and varying degrees of muscle pain (myalgia). As part of this study, patients are asked about the presence of myalgias using a detailed questionnaire. In particular, the frequency, severity and exact character of the pain will be assessed using a study-specific questionnaire and two other questionnaires established in everyday clinical practice (Pain Detect and Widespread Pain Index). The necessity and frequency of taking medication for pain therapy and the perception of non-medication therapy methods are also surveyed. In addition, the diagnosis and key disease data, such as duration of illness and severity of physical limitations, as well as secondary diagnoses are recorded on the basis of the patient file. The aim of this study is to characterize the pain character, severity, pain frequency and distribution of myalgias of the different myopathies. In addition, it will be examined whether conclusions can be drawn about the disease subgroup on the basis of the pain and it will be shown which patient groups are particularly affected by myalgias. By investigating these important aspects, the need for pain medical care for patients with neuromuscular diseases is to be determined.

Brief summary in scientific language

Myopathies (primary muscle diseases) comprise a heterogeneous spectrum of hereditary and acquired diseases, the main common symptoms of which are a reduction in muscle strength and muscle atrophy. In addition to paresis and reduced muscle mass, associated with everyday limitations and immobility, other symptoms such as swallowing disorders, sensory deficits and muscle pain (myalgia) can also occur, which can seriously impair the quality of life of those affected. The quality, localization, frequency and severity of the muscle pain as well as influencing external factors (e.g. physical activity, temperature) can diverge significantly between different muscle diseases and provide clinical indications of the disease entity. As part of this study, patients are asked about the presence of myalgia using a detailed questionnaire. In particular, the frequency, severity and exact character of the pain will be assessed using a study-specific questionnaire and two other questionnaires established in everyday clinical practice (Pain Detect and Widespread Pain Index). The necessity and frequency of taking medication for pain therapy and the perception of non-medication therapy methods are also surveyed. In addition, the diagnosis and basic disease data, such as duration of illness and severity of physical limitations, as well as secondary diagnoses are recorded on the basis of the patient file. The aim of this study is to characterize the pain character, severity, pain frequency and distribution of myalgias of the different myopathies. In addition, it will be examined whether conclusions can be drawn about the disease subgroup based on the pain and it will be shown which patient groups are particularly affected by myalgia. By surveying these important aspects, the need for pain medical care for patients with neuromuscular diseases is to be determined. Myalgias are a relevant symptom in both acquired and hereditary myopathies. However, idiopathic inflammatory myopathies play a prominent role here, as myalgias have been identified as a key domain in terms of symptom burden and relevance to everyday life in myositis, particularly from the perspective of those affected. The lack of sufficient symptom control and uniform treatment recommendations highlights the need for improved characterization of the pain profile in different disease entities in the spectrum of primary muscle diseases. Based on this data collection, particularly vulnerable subgroups with an accumulation of myalgias can be identified, treatment strategies and behavioural recommendations can be derived and healthcare staff (e.g. doctors, nursing staff and therapists) can be sensitized to patients at risk. These findings are also particularly relevant because multiple therapeutic options are available for patients with myalgia, which can be made accessible to those affected.