[Electromyography biofeedback therapy in fibromyalgia]

Nineteen patients with fibromyalgia underwent a course of treatment with EMG-biofeedback (EMG-BFB) technique. On completion of treatment, there was a statistically significant lowering of sensitivity to pain at pressure points typical for fibromyalgia (p = 0.017), which could be observed also 2 months after completion of treatment. In addition, there was a reduction both in the affective (p = 0.04) and in the sensory (p = 0.007) components of pain. Furthermore, there was a statistically significant improvement in the accompanying disease parameters of sleep disturbance (p = 0.004) and head ache (p = 0.031). Since EMG-BFB training might contribute not only to a reduction of pain and muscle tension but also to an improvement of quality of life, it can be recommended as part of a multimodal pain therapy in fibromyalgia patients.