The benefit of adding a physiotherapy or occupational therapy intervention programme to a standardized group-based...

To evaluate the benefit of adding occupational therapy or physiotherapy interventions to a standard rehabilitation programme targeted for chronic widespread pain.

Randomized active-controlled non-blinded trial.

Women with chronic widespread pain recruited in a tertiary outpatient clinic.

Participants were randomized to a two-week, group-based standard rehabilitation programme followed by 16 weeks of group-based occupational therapy (Group B_OT, n = 43) or 16 weeks of group-based physiotherapy (Group B_PT, n = 42). Group A only received the two-week rehabilitation programme acting as comparator (n = 96).

Primary outcomes were the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills and Short Form-36 (SF36) Mental Component Summary score.

Mean changes in motor and process ability measures were clinically and statistically insignificant and without differences across the three groups assessed 88 weeks from baseline. Motor ability measures: -0.006 (95% confidence interval (CI): -0.244 to 0.233) in Group B_OT; -0.045 (95% CI: -0.291 to 0.202) in Group B_PT; and -0.017 (95% CI: -0.248 to 0.213) in Group A, P = 0.903. Process ability measures: 0.087 (95% CI: -0.056 to 0.231) in Group B_OT; 0.075 (95% CI: -0.075 to 0.226) in Group B_PT; and 0.072 (95% CI: -0.067 to 0.211) in Group A, P = 0.924. Mean changes in patient-reported outcomes were likewise small; clinically and statistically insignificant; and independent of group allocation, except for the SF36 mental component summary score in the B_PT group: 8.58 (95% CI: 1.75 to 15.41).

Participants were on average stable in observation-based measures of functional ability and patient-reported outcomes, except in overall mental well-being, favouring the enhanced intervention. Efficacy of additional interventions on functional ability remains uncertain.