OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effects of a 16-week exercise therapy in a chest-high pool of warm water through applicable tests in the clinical practice on the global symptomatology of women with fibromyalgia (FM) and to determine exercise adherence levels. DESIGN: A randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Testing and training were completed at the university. PARTICIPANTS: Middle-aged women with FM (n=60) and healthy women (n=25). INTERVENTION: A 16-week aquatic training program, including strength training, aerobic training, and relaxation exercises. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Tender point count (syringe calibrated), health status (Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire); sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index); physical (endurance strength to low loads tests), psychologic (State Anxiety Inventory), and cognitive function (Paced Auditory Serial Addition Task); and adherence 12 months after the completion of the study. RESULTS: For all the measurements, the patients showed significant deficiencies compared with the healthy subjects. Efficacy analysis (n=29) and intent-to-treat analysis (n=34) of the exercise therapy was effective in decreasing the tender point count and improving sleep quality, cognitive function, and physical function. Anxiety remained unchanged during the follow-up. The exercise group had a significant improvement of health status, not associated exclusively with the exercise intervention. There were no changes in the control group. Twenty-three patients in the exercise group were exercising regularly 12 months after completing the program. CONCLUSIONS: An exercise therapy 3 times a week for 16 weeks in a warm pool could improve most of the symptoms of FM and cause a high adherence to exercise in unfit women with heightened FM symptomatology. The therapeutic intervention's effects can be assessed through applicable tests in the clinical practice.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effects of a 16-week exercise therapy in a chest-high pool of warm water through applicable tests in the clinical practice on the global symptomatology of women with fibromyalgia (FM) and to determine exercise adherence levels. DESIGN: A randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Testing and training were completed at the university. PARTICIPANTS: Middle-aged women with FM (n=60) and healthy women (n=25). INTERVENTION: A 16-week aquatic training program, including strength training, aerobic training, and relaxation exercises. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Tender point count (syringe calibrated), health status (Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire); sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index); physical (endurance strength to low loads tests), psychologic (State Anxiety Inventory), and cognitive function (Paced Auditory Serial Addition Task); and adherence 12 months after the completion of the study. RESULTS: For all the measurements, the patients showed significant deficiencies compared with the healthy subjects. Efficacy analysis (n=29) and intent-to-treat analysis (n=34) of the exercise therapy was effective in decreasing the tender point count and improving sleep quality, cognitive function, and physical function. Anxiety remained unchanged during the follow-up. The exercise group had a significant improvement of health status, not associated exclusively with the exercise intervention. There were no changes in the control group. Twenty-three patients in the exercise group were exercising regularly 12 months after completing the program. CONCLUSIONS: An exercise therapy 3 times a week for 16 weeks in a warm pool could improve most of the symptoms of FM and cause a high adherence to exercise in unfit women with heightened FM symptomatology. The therapeutic intervention's effects can be assessed through applicable tests in the clinical practice.
Authors: A Winkelmann; W Häuser; E Friedel; M Moog-Egan; D Seeger; M Settan; T Weiss; M Schiltenwolf Journal: Schmerz Date: 2012-06 Impact factor: 1.107
Authors: S Córdoba-Torrecilla; V A Aparicio; A Soriano-Maldonado; F Estévez-López; V Segura-Jiménez; I Álvarez-Gallardo; P Femia; M Delgado-Fernández Journal: Qual Life Res Date: 2015-09-08 Impact factor: 4.147
Authors: Julia Bidonde; Angela J Busch; Candice L Schachter; Tom J Overend; Soo Y Kim; Suelen M Góes; Catherine Boden; Heather Ja Foulds Journal: Cochrane Database Syst Rev Date: 2017-06-21