Exercise Therapy for Fibromyalgia

Exercise Therapy for Fibromyalgia

Busch, A. J., Webber, S. C., Brachaniec, M., Bidonde, J., Bello-Haas, V. D., Danyliw, A. D., Overend, T. J., Richards, R. S., Sawant, A., & Schachter, C. L. (2011). Exercise therapy for fibromyalgia. Current Pain and Headache Reports; 15 (5), 358-367.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21725900/

This article is a systematic review that examines the benefits of different types of exercise, including Tai Chi, yoga, breathing exercises, Pilates, vibration, Nordic walking, and lifestyle physical activity on the reduction of pain and depressive symptoms, global health, function, fitness, and quality of life in patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia.

They included 24 articles in their review. In all the articles, patients were given a specific exercise regimen to follow in accordance with one of the exercise types under investigation for a set number of weeks with follow-up to assess for the outcomes outlined by the reasearchers.

They found that patients who did tai chi, yoga, breathing exercises, and Pilates reported improved pain ratings and Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) scores. Patients who participated in whole-body vibration displayed improved balance, FIQ scores, and SF-36 scores. Patients who participated in Nordic walking had significantly improved FIQ scores, as well as reduced heart rates. Patients who participated in lifestyle physical activity showed increased average daily step counts, improved FIQ scores, and improved overall pain levels. There was no significant improvement among any of the articles on cognitive ability and symptoms described as “fibrofog” in patients on these exercise programs.

Overall, physical activity, particularly in conjunction with other pain management methods, is beneficial in the overall quality of life in patients with fibromyalgia. This systematic review holds promise because it investigated so many different types of exercise and included a large number of articles. One limitation, however, is that the studies included were not necessarily standardized in that articles that investigated the same type of exercise did not adhere to the same length of the program and follow-up time. Additionally, many of the sample sizes were small, lending less power to the overall results. Moreover, while the article is still technically relevant having been published in 2011, this is very close to being outside of the 10-year window, making it concerning that newer insights on the topic have been found.