Effects of a Physical Exercise Program on Patients Affected with Fibromyalgia
Glòria Saüch Valmaña, Josep Vidal‐Alaball, Pere Roura‐Poch, Jacobo Mendiroz Peña, Robert Panadés Zafra, Francesc Xavier Cantero Gómez, Anna Ruiz‐Comellas, David Barranco Reixachs
Abstract
BACKGROUND: physical activity has been used for a number of years in the treatment of fibromyalgia (FM). The main objective of this study is to compare the effects of physical activity on 2 groups of women diagnosed with FM in terms of pain, quality of life and the impact of the condition on their daily lives. METHODS: this was a randomized clinical trial to assess the effects of physical activity performed by subjects assigned to one of 2 groups on the scores of 3 questionnaires, the pain Visual Analog Scale (EVA), the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) and the SF-36 health questionnaire administered before and after the intervention. RESULTS: A total of 24 subjects were randomly assigned to each of the 2 study groups. No significant differences were found after the program of 3 months of physical activity ended. CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows that a physical activity program with duration of less than 3 months does not significantly improve any of the factors studied.