Jan 31

Efficiacy of multicomponent treatment for Fibromyalgia Syndrome

An article, e-published ahead of print in the journal Arthritis and Rheumatism, discusses a review of the efficiacy of multicomponent treatment for Fibromyalgia Syndrome, where exercise therapy is combined with one or more educational or psychological therapies.

The study aimed to systematically review the efficacy of multicomponent treatment of Fibromyalgia Syndrome.

For the study, the researchers screened the databases Medline, PsychINFO, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library (through December 2007), as well as reference sections of original studies, reviews, and evidence-based guidelines. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of multicomponent treatments (that included at least 1 educational or psychological therapy with at least 1 exercise therapy) of Fibromyalgia Syndrome were also analysed.

Nine out of 14 RCTs were included in the analysis and the effects were standardised using standardized mean differences or weighted mean differences.1

The researchers found that there was strong evidence that multicomponent treatment reduces pain, fatigue, depressive symptoms, and limitations to health-related quality of life, as well as improving self-efficacy pain and physical fitness at posttreatment.1

However, there was no evidence of its long-term efficacy on pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances, depressive symptoms, HRQOL, or self-efficacy pain.1

There was strong evidence that positive effects on physical fitness can be maintained in the long term (median followup 7 months)..1

The researchers concluded that:

"There is strong evidence that multicomponent treatment has beneficial short-term effects on the key symptoms of [Fibromyalgia Syndrome]. Strategies to maintain the benefits of multicomponent treatment in the long term need to be developed."

References:

  1. Häuser W, Bernardy K, Arnold B, Offenbächer M, Schiltenwolf M. Efficacy of multicomponent treatment in fibromyalgia syndrome: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials. Arthritis Rheum. 2009 Jan 29;61(2):216-224. [Epub ahead of print]