Background & Aims

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a health condition characterized by widespread chronic pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances and cognitive dysfunction, affecting patients’ lives in various ways. Many interventions have been tested to treat this clinical condition, but we do not yet know if anyone is better for decreasing pain intensity of these patients. So, the aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of treatments for FM.

Methods

A systematic review with meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the efficacy of treatments for FM and a network meta-analysis (NMA) to investigate, through direct and/or indirect comparisons, the superiority of any of these treatments. The MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, AMED, PsycINFO and PEDro databases were searched from its beginning until May 2020 and without language restrictions. In the first systematic review, we included published randomised controlled trials (RCTs) or quasi-randomised trials that investigated any therapy for individuals with FM. In the second review (NMA), we included RCTs comparing two or more non-pharmacological interventions for the treatment of FM. In both reviews, the population consisted of adults with FM, diagnosed by the American College of Rheumatology criteria of 1990, 2010 or 2016. Clinical outcome of interest in both reviews was pain intensity.

Results

In the first review, for pain intensity, high quality evidence was found in favor of cognitive behavioral therapy at short-term (interventions of up to three months of duration after the randomisation process) and in favor of central nervous system depressants and antidepressants in the medium-term (interventions lasting longer than three months and shorter than 12 months). In the second review (NMA), for pain intensity at immediate-term (interventions up to two weeks in duration after the randomisation process), most interventions were effective compared to the control node were low quality evidence. For pain intensity at short-term (interventions lasting more than two weeks and less than three months), moderate quality evidence showed that acupuncture, aerobic exercise, aquatic exercise, balneotherapy, dry needling, electrotherapy, magnetic field therapy, manual therapy, photobiomodulation therapy, resistance exercise, whole body vibration, transcranial stimulation by direct current.

Conclusions

Most currently available therapies for the treatment of FM are not supported by high-quality evidence, particularly in the immediate and long term. Some therapies can reduce pain intensity and improve quality of life in the short and medium term, such as dry needling and different exercise modalities, although the effect size may not be clinically important. Therefore, for decision making, alternative therapies offered to patients with this condition must be discussed taking into account the best evidence, patients’ preferences and the clinician’s expertise. Future investigations in FM should clarify the effect of combined therapies, carry out economic evaluation and test implementation.

References

QUEIROZ, L. P. Worldwide Epidemiology of Fibromyalgia. Current Pain and Headache Reports, v. 17, n. 8, p. 356, 26 ago. 2013.

WOLFE, F. et al. 2016 Revisions to the 2010/2011 fibromyalgia diagnostic criteria. Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism, v. 46, n. 3, p. 319–329, 1 dez. 2016.

BERNARDY, K. et al. Cognitive behavioural therapies for fibromyalgia. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, v. 2017, n. 6, 10 set. 2013.

BIDONDE, J. et al. Aerobic exercise training for adults with fibromyalgia. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews, v. 6, n. 6, p. CD012700, 21 jun. 2017a.

Presenting Author

Leonardo Sette Vieira

Poster Authors

Leonardo Vieira

MSc

UFVJM

Lead Author

Bianca Lourenço

Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM)

Lead Author

Matheus Souza

Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM)

Lead Author

Rodrigo Mascarenhas

Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM)

Lead Author

Laisa Maia

Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM)

Lead Author

Mariana Gabrich

Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG)

Lead Author

Letícia Fonseca

Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM)

Lead Author

Hytalo Silva

Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM)

Lead Author

Vinicius Oliveira

Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM)

Lead Author

James McAuley

Neuroscience Research Australia, Universidade New South Wales,

Lead Author

Nicholas Henschke

The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia

Lead Author

Rutger Zoete

The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

Lead Author

Topics

  • Specific Pain Conditions/Pain in Specific Populations: Fibromyalgia