{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,14]],"date-time":"2026-03-14T00:02:55Z","timestamp":1773446575784,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":48,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,12,28]],"date-time":"2022-12-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1672185600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a common condition lacking strong diagnostic criteria; these criteria continue to evolve as more and more studies are performed to explore it. This investigation sought to identify whether participants with FMS have more frequent and larger postural\/spinal displacements in comparison to a matched control group without the condition of FMS. A total of 67 adults (55 females) out of 380 participants with FMS were recruited. Participants with FMS were sex- and age-matched with 67 asymptomatic participants (controls) without FMS. We used a three-dimensional (3D) postural assessment device (Formetric system) to analyze five posture variables in each participant in both groups: (1) thoracic kyphotic angle, (2) trunk imbalance, (3) trunk inclination, (4) lumbar lordotic angle, and (5) vertebral rotation. In order to determine whether 3D postural measures could predict the likelihood of a participant having FMS, we applied the matched-pairs binary logistic regression analysis. The 3D posture measures identified statistically and clinically significant differences between the FMS and control groups for each of the five posture variables measured (p &lt; 0.001). For three out of five posture measurements assessed, the binary logistic regression identified there was an increased probability of having FMS with an increased: (1) thoracic kyphotic angle proportional odds ratio [Prop OR] = 1.76 (95% CI = 1.03, 3.02); (2) sagittal imbalance Prop OR = 1.54 (95% CI = 0.973, 2.459); and (3) surface rotation Prop OR = 7.9 (95% CI = 1.494, 41.97). We identified no significant probability of having FMS for the following two postural measurements: (1) coronal balance (p = 0.50) and (2) lumbar lordotic angle (p = 0.10). Our study\u2019s findings suggest there is a strong relationship between 3D spinal misalignment and the diagnosis of FMS. In fact, our results support that thoracic kyphotic angle, sagittal imbalance, and surface rotation are predictors of having FMS.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm12010218","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,12,28]],"date-time":"2022-12-28T05:31:54Z","timestamp":1672205514000},"page":"218","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":8,"title":["An Investigation of the Association between 3D Spinal Alignment and Fibromyalgia"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"given":"Amal","family":"Ahbouch","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physiotherapy, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4859-1490","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ibrahim M.","family":"Moustafa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physiotherapy, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates"},{"name":"Neuromusculoskeletal Rehabilitation Research Group, RIMHS\u2013Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates"},{"name":"Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University, Giza 12613, Egypt"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0712-4490","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tamer","family":"Shousha","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physiotherapy, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates"},{"name":"Neuromusculoskeletal Rehabilitation Research Group, RIMHS\u2013Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates"},{"name":"Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University, Giza 12613, Egypt"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ashokan","family":"Arumugam","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physiotherapy, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates"},{"name":"Neuromusculoskeletal Rehabilitation Research Group, RIMHS\u2013Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3117-7330","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Paul","family":"Oakley","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CBP Nonprofit (a Spine Research Foundation), Eagle, ID 83616, USA"},{"name":"Private Practice, Newmarket, ON L3Y 8Y8, Canada"},{"name":"Kinesiology and Health Sciences, York University, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6671-7106","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Deed E.","family":"Harrison","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CBP Nonprofit (a Spine Research Foundation), Eagle, ID 83616, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,12,28]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neulet.2018.11.039","article-title":"Definitions of Nociception, Pain, and Chronic Pain with Implications Regarding Science and Society","volume":"702","author":"Apkarian","year":"2019","journal-title":"Neurosci. 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