Eight months of physical training in warm water improves physical and mental health in women with fibromyalgia: a randomized controlled trial.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the feasibility of 8 months of supervised exercise therapy in warm water and its effects on the impact of fibromyalgia on physical and mental health and physical fitness in affected women.


METHODS
Thirty women with fibromyalgia were randomly assigned to an exercise therapy group (n = 15) or a control group (inactive) (n = 15). The impact of fibromyalgia on physical and mental health was assessed using the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire and the anxiety state with State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Physical fitness was measured using the following tests: Canadian Aerobic Fitness; hand-grip dynamometry; 10-metre walking; 10-step stair-climbing and blind 1-leg stance.


RESULTS
After 8 months of training, the exercise therapy group improved compared with the control group in terms of physical function (20%), pain (8%), stiffness (53%), anxiety (41%), depression (27%), Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire total scores (18%), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory score (22%), aerobic capacity (22%), balance (30%), functional capacity for walking (6%), stair-climbing with no extra weight (14%) and stair-climbing 10 kg-weighted (25%).


CONCLUSIONS
Eight months of supervised exercise in warm water was feasible and led to long-term improvements in physical and mental health in patients with fibromyalgia at a similar magnitude to those of shorter therapy programmes.
Tomas-Carus
Pablo
P
Department of Sport and Health, University of Evora, Evora, Portugal. ptc@uevora.pr
Gusi
Narcis
N
Häkkinen
Arja
A
Häkkinen
Keijo
K
Leal
Alejo
A
Ortega-Alonso
Alfredo
A
D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis; D001452:Balneology; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D018737:Hand Strength; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010809:Physical Fitness; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome