Exercise therapy in fibromyalgia patients: comparison of a web-based intervention with usual care

Objective. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a web-based exercise intervention in improving the severity of symptoms in different health domains in patients with fibromyalgia (FM). Methods. Consecutive FM patients insufficiently responding to drug treatment (defined as a score of >4 on a numerical rating scale of pain) were enrolled in a web-based intervention group (Fibro-Web) and underwent a 24-week daily home exercise programme. They were evaluated through the revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQR) and the Modified Fibromyalgia Assessment Status questionnaire (Mod FAS) at baseline, and then every two weeks until the end of the programme. The outcomes were compared with those of patients receiving usual care. Results. The final analysis was based on 140 patients: 68 in the Fibro-Web group and 72 in the usual care group. At the end of the 24-week study period, the patients in the Fibro-Web group showed a significant improvement in overall and sub-scale scores of the FIQR (p=0.0279) and Mod FAS (p=0.0057), expressed as time-integrated values. This improvement started in the 16th week. Conclusion. The use of a web-based daily exercise programme in FM patients significantly improves disease severity indices.