Impact of interdisciplinary treatment on physical and psychosocial parameters in patients with fibromyalgia: results of a randomised trial.

AIM: Fibromyalgia (FM) is a persistent disorder that can have a devastating effect on patients' lives. The purpose of the study was to assess the effects of an interdisciplinary treatment for FM on patients' physical and psychosocial parameters.

METHODS

A randomised controlled clinical trial carried out among 153 patients. The control group (CG) received standard pharmacological therapy. The experimental group (EG) received an interdisciplinary treatment. At baseline and 6 months after the intervention, participants completed assessment for impact of FM in the quality of life, anxiety, depression, coping with pain, social support and satisfaction with the treatment.

RESULTS

A total of 110 participants completed the trial. Six months after the intervention, statistically significant improvements in quality of life (p = 0.04), pain (p = 0.03), self-assertiveness (p = 0.01), mental self-control (p = 0.05), social support (p = 0.02) and satisfaction (p = 0.0001) were observed in the EG. Randomisation to the EG was identified as a predictor for improvement.

CONCLUSION

An interdisciplinary intervention may be appropriate for patients referred to a hospital pain management unit.