Medical intervention often has little effect on the symptoms of fibromyalgia (FM) patients, and there is a need to identify new approaches to treatment. The objective of this study was to evaluate a self-management programme for FM patients. Subjects recruited from the rheumatology clinic with a diagnosis of FM participated in the 5-week self-management programme. Six weeks after its completion a sub-set of 10 patients took part in a follow-up semistructured interview which explored their beliefs about their condition, and the actions they took to deal with it. Parameters measured for all patients were pain; fatigue; sleep; perceived exertion; attitude to condition. Results were compared with a control group of patients who underwent a 6-week nontreatment period. The intervention group showed significant positive change in pain, perceived exertion and attitude in the experimental group. No significant difference could be found between any of the pre- and post-test scores in the control group. Feedback from the patient interviews endorsed these findings. The study concluded that participation in a FM self-management programme brings about positive changes in patients' attitude to their condition, coping behaviour, and to their perception of some of their symptoms.

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