Exercise in warm water decreases pain and improves cognitive function
in middle-aged women with fibromyalgia.
Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2007 Nov-Dec;25(6):823-30.
Munguía-Izquierdo D, Legaz-Arrese A.
Section of Physical Education and Sports, University Pablo de Olavide, Seville.
PMID: 18173915
OBJECTIVES: To compare the cognitive function performance in patients
with fibromyalgia (FM) with respect healthy controls and to evaluate
the short-term efficacy of exercise therapy in a warm, chest-high
pool on pain and cognitive function in women with FM.
METHODS: Sixty middle-aged women with FM were randomly assigned to
either an exercise training group (n = 35) to perform 3 sessions per
week of aquatic training (32 degrees C) including mobility, aerobic,
strengthening, and relaxation exercises for 16 weeks, or a control
group (n = 25). Twenty-five healthy women matched for age, weight,
body mass index, and educational and physical activity levels were
recruited. Pain was assessed in patients using a syringe calibrated
like a pressure dolorimeter, and a visual analog scale. The severity
of FM was evaluated using the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire.
Cognitive function was measured in healthy individuals and patients
using several standardized neuropsychological tests. All patients
were measured at baseline and post-treatment.
RESULTS: At baseline, the healthy group evidenced cognitive
performance that was significantly superior to the group of patients
with FM in all of the neuropsychological tests. The exercise group
significantly improved their pain threshold, tender point count,
self-reported pain, severity of FM, and cognitive function, while in
the control group the differences were not significant.
CONCLUSION: An exercise therapy three times per week for 16 weeks in
a warm-water pool is an adequate treatment to decrease the pain and
severity of FM well as to improve cognitive function in previously
unfit women with FM and heightened painful symptomatology.
Effects of yoga and the addition of tui na in patients with fibromyalgia.
J Altern Complement Med. 2007 Dec;13(10):1107-14.
da Silva GD, Lorenzi-Filho G, Lage LV.
Pulmonary Division, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São
Paulo, Brazil.
NLM Citation: PMID: 18166122
Objectives: This study aimed to verify whether techniques of yoga
with and without the addition of Tui Na might improve pain and the
negative impact of fibromyalgia (FMS) on patients' daily life.
Design: Forty (40) FMS women were randomized into two groups,
Relaxing Yoga (RY) and Relaxing Yoga plus Touch (RYT), for eight
weekly sessions of stretching, breathing, and relaxing yogic
techniques. RYT patients were further submitted to manipulative
techniques of Tui Na.
Outcome measure: Outcome measures comprised the Fibromyalgia Impact
Questionnaire (FIQ), pain threshold at the 18 FMS tender points, and
a verbal graduation of pain assessed before treatment and on the
followup. The visual analog scale (VAS) for pain was assessed before
and after each session and on the follow-up.
Results: Seventeen (17) RYT and 16 RY patients completed the study.
Both RY and RYT groups showed improvement in the FIQ and VAS scores,
which decreased on all sessions. The RYT group showed lower VAS and
verbal scores for pain on the eighth session, but this difference was
not maintained on the follow-up. Conversely, RY VAS and verbal scores
were significantly lower just on the follow-up.
Conclusions: These study results showed that yogic techniques are
valid therapeutic methods for FMS. Touch addition yielded greater
improvement during the treatment. Over time, however, RY patients
reported less pain than RYT. These results suggest that a passive
therapy may possibly decrease control over FMS symptoms.
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