Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2013:6:247-60.
doi: 10.2147/JPR.S32297. Epub 2013 Mar 27.

Complementary and alternative exercise for fibromyalgia: a meta-analysis

Scott David Mist  1 , Kari A Firestone, Kim Dupree Jones
Affiliations

Complementary and alternative exercise for fibromyalgia: a meta-analysis

Scott David Mist et al. J Pain Res. 2013.

Abstract

Complementary and alternative medicine includes a number of exercise modalities, such as tai chi, qigong, yoga, and a variety of lesser-known movement therapies. A meta-analysis of the current literature was conducted estimating the effect size of the different modalities, study quality and bias, and adverse events. The level of research has been moderately weak to date, but most studies report a medium-to-high effect size in pain reduction. Given the lack of adverse events, there is little risk in recommending these modalities as a critical component in a multimodal treatment plan, which is often required for fibromyalgia management.

Keywords: complementary and alternative; efficacy; exercise; fibromyalgia; safety.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Search strategy results. Abbreviations: CINAHL, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature; FIQ, Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Qigong forest plot. Abbreviations: std diff, standard difference; CI, confidence interval.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Tai chi forest plot. Abbreviations: std diff, standard difference; CI, confidence interval.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Yoga forest plot. Abbreviations: std diff, standard difference; CI, confidence interval.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Other CAM forest plot. Abbreviations: BMP, body movement and perception therapy; CAM, complementary and alternative medicine; std diff, standard difference; CI, confidence interval.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Funnel plot of standard error by standard difference in means. Abbreviation: std diff, standard difference.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Regression of Jadad score on standard difference in means (Jadad et al, 1996). Abbreviation: std diff, standard difference.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Jain AK, Carruthers BM, van de Sande MI, et al. Fibromyalgia syndrome: Canadian clinical working case definition, diagnostic and treatment protocols – A consensus document. J Musculoskelet Pain. 2004;11(4):3–107.
    1. Macfarlane GJ, McBeth J, Silman AJ. Widespread body pain and mortality: prospective population based study. BMJ. 2001;323(7314):662–665. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Macfarlane GJ. Chronic widespread pain and fibromyalgia: Should reports of increased mortality influence management? Current Rheumatol Rep. 2005;7(5):339–341. - PubMed
    1. White KP, Harth M. Classification, epidemiology, and natural history of fibromyalgia. Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2001;5(4):320–329. - PubMed
    1. Burckhardt CS, Bjelle A. Perceived control: A comparison of women with fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, and systematic lupus erythematosus using a Swedish version of the rheumatology attitudes index. Scand J Rheumatol. 1996;25(5):300–306. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources