Aquatic Therapy Effects on Fibromyalgia Symptoms

Munguía-Izquierdo D, Legaz-Arrese A.
Section of Physical Education and Sports, University Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain.
Dec, 2008

OBJECTIVES:
To evaluate the effects of a 16-week exercise therapy in a chest-high pool of warm water through applicable tests in the clinical practice on the global symptomatology of women with fibromyalgia (FM) and to determine exercise adherence levels.

DESIGN:
A randomized controlled trial.

SETTING:
Testing and training were completed at the university.

PARTICIPANTS:
Middle-aged women with FM (n=60) and healthy women (n=25).

INTERVENTION:
A 16-week aquatic training program, including strength training, aerobic training, and relaxation exercises.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:

• Tender point count (syringe calibrated)
• health status (Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire)
• sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index)
• physical (endurance strength to low loads tests)
• psychologic (State Anxiety Inventory)
• cognitive function (Paced Auditory Serial Addition Task)
• adherence 12 months after the completion of the study.

RESULTS:
For all the measurements, the patients showed significant deficiencies compared with the healthy subjects.
Efficacy analysis (n=29) and intent-to-treat analysis (n=34) of the exercise therapy was effective in:

• decreasing the tender point count
• improving sleep quality
• improving cognitive function
• improving physical function
• Anxiety remained unchanged during the follow-up.
  

The exercise group had a significant improvement of health status, not associated exclusively with the exercise intervention. There were no changes in the control group. Twenty-three patients in the exercise group were exercising regularly 12 months after completing the program.

CONCLUSIONS:
An exercise therapy 3 times a week for 16 weeks in a warm pool could improve most of the symptoms of FM and cause a high adherence to exercise in unfit women with heightened FM symptomatology. The therapeutic intervention's effects can be assessed through applicable tests in the clinical practice.

PMID: 19061736 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]