Use the Back button in your browser to see the other results of your search or to select another record.

Detailed Search Results

Community patient education and exercise for people with fibromyalgia: a parallel group randomized controlled trial [with consumer summary]
Hammond A, Freeman K
Clinical Rehabilitation 2006 Oct;20(10):835-846
clinical trial
6/10 [Eligibility criteria: Yes; Random allocation: Yes; Concealed allocation: Yes; Baseline comparability: Yes; Blind subjects: No; Blind therapists: No; Blind assessors: No; Adequate follow-up: No; Intention-to-treat analysis: Yes; Between-group comparisons: Yes; Point estimates and variability: Yes. Note: Eligibility criteria item does not contribute to total score] *This score has been confirmed*

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of a community patient education -exercise programme, using a cognitive-behavioural approach, for people with fibromyalgia. DESIGN: A randomized, parallel group trial with assessments at 0, 4 and 8 months. SETTING: Community leisure centres. SUBJECTS: People with fibromyalgia (n = 183) attending a rheumatology outpatient department at a large district general hospital. INTERVENTIONS: Participants were randomized to a patient education-exercise group (n = 97) or relaxation (attention control) group (n = 86). MAIN MEASURES: The Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (0 to 80; lower score means better health). Secondary outcomes included: the Arthritis Self-Efficacy Scale (pain and other symptoms subscales: 1 to 10 scale; higher scores mean greater self-efficacy) and self-reported improvement. RESULTS: Fifty participants withdrew or were unable to attend and 133 completed and returned baseline questionnaires: patient education group (n = 71); relaxation group (n = 62); 120/133 participants were women. Average age was 48.53 (SD 10.89) years. Follow-up ranged between 73 and 82% of questionnaires returned. At four months, there was a difference in average changes in total Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire scores between the two groups: patient education group -3.38 (SD 9.35); relaxation group 0.3 (SD 8.85); p = 0.02. Arthritis Self-Efficacy Scale scores were significantly higher in the patient education group: pain 0.59 (SD 1.45) compared to the relaxation group's -0.12 (SD 1.22); p = 0.003; other symptoms (patient education group 0.72 (SD 1.33); relaxation group 0.03 (SD 1.16); p = 0.002). At eight months these differences were no longer apparent. Forty-seven per cent in the patient education group self-reported improvement compared with 13% in the relaxation group (varkappa = 13.65; p = 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Short-term improvements resulted from the education -exercise programme but were not sustained. Appropriate selection may improve efficacy.

Full text (sometimes free) may be available at these link(s):      help