Cognitive-behavioral therapy for primary fibromyalgia.

The purpose of cognitive-behavioral therapy is to teach individuals the skills necessary to control pain and disability as well as to believe that they can successfully employ these skills. Cognitive-behavioral therapy has been used successfully in patients with back pain and rheumatoid arthritis and represents a potentially effective intervention for patients with primary fibromyalgia. This article describes cognitive-behavioral treatment procedures, presents 2 experimental designs that may be used in randomized, controlled clinical trials of cognitive-behavioral therapy in patients with primary fibromyalgia and identifies the methodological features that should be included in the trials.