Effects of Pain Neuroscience Education in Fibromyalgia

The Effects of Pain Neuroscience Education Plus Exercise in the Management of Fibromyalgia: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Fibromyalgia is one of the main causes of chronic musculoskeletal widespread pain. This condition presents a global prevalence of 2.7%, and it is more prevalent in women (with a female to male ratio of 3:1) over 50 years of age with low education level and low socioeconomic status, living in rural areas. High direct medical costs and significant indirect costs of this condition can't be ignored.

Study design and setting: The design of the present study will be a randomized controlled trial with 2 follow-ups (one week and one month after intervention) that will be performed between May 2017 and June 2017 in one private clinic in Malaga, Spain. The outcomes will be assessed at baseline (t1), one week after intervention (t2), and one moth after intervention (t3). Written informed consent will be acquired for all participants prior to their participation. The study will be implemented and reported in line with the CONSORT statement.

Pain neuroscience education can be defined as an educational session or sessions describing the neurobiology and neurophysiology of pain, and pain processing by the nervous system. It will be applied three times (at baseline, one week and one month after intervention). Exercise will be based on a set of 4 exercise implicating flexion, extension, lateral rotation and abduction of lower and upper extremities.

Exercise will be based on a set of 4 exercise implicating flexion, extension, lateral rotation and abduction of lower and upper extremities. Participants will attend three appointments per week over three weeks. They will complete three sets of 10 repetitions, with the exercises progressed in difficulty at each appointment.

A session of Pain neuroscience education + Exercise covers the activity, strength and endurance of lower and upper muscles of the extremities. Besides that it will be covered the understanding and acknowledgement about how pain is processed.

A session of exercise covers the activity, strength and endurance of lower and upper muscles of the extremities.

Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (PSEQ) contains 10 questions that will be measure the patient's confidence in performing certain activities despite pain.

Inclusion Criteria: Age between 18-70 years. Willing and able to participate Diagnosis of Fibromyalgia Exclusion Criteria: Systemic diseases Pain and function due to other rheumatic disorders such as: osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis.