Mind and body therapy for fibromyalgia

Area of Science:

• Integrative Medicine
• Psychoneuroimmunology
• Rehabilitation Science

Background:

• Mind-body interventions are holistic approaches recognizing the mind-body-behavior connection.
• These therapies aim to enhance psychological and physical well-being, empowering patients in their treatment.
• Widely adopted for fibromyalgia, they help manage symptoms and improve coping mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the benefits and harms of mind-body therapies for adults with fibromyalgia.
• Comparisons were made against standard care and attention placebo control groups.
• Outcomes were assessed post-intervention and at three and six-month follow-ups.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search was conducted across multiple electronic databases up to October 2013.
• Relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving adults with fibromyalgia were included.
• Data extraction and risk of bias assessment were performed independently by two authors.

Main Results:

• Low-quality evidence suggests psychological therapies improve physical functioning, pain, and mood in fibromyalgia patients compared to usual care.
• Very low-quality evidence indicates potential for increased withdrawals with psychological therapies; no significant difference in adverse events.
• The effectiveness of biofeedback, mindfulness, movement therapies, and relaxation therapies remains unclear due to very low to low-quality evidence.

Conclusions:

• Psychological interventions may offer benefits for fibromyalgia, but the low evidence quality necessitates further investigation.
• Sustained effects of these therapies require additional research.
• The overall effectiveness of various mind-body approaches for fibromyalgia is uncertain, limited by small trial numbers and inconsistent outcome measures.