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Mind-body therapy for treating fibromyalgia: a systematic review.

Jeremy P Steen, Vivek Kannan, Abdullah Zaidi, Holger Cramer, Jeremy Y Ng

Pain Medicine August 2, 2024 DOI: 10.1093/pm/pnae076 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Systematic review Randomized Peer reviewed
Sample size 27
Population Adults diagnosed with fibromyalgia
Interventions guided imagery mindfulness-based stress reduction qi gong tai chi biofeedback yoga mindfulness awareness training progressive muscle relaxation
Topics Meditation
Keywords Chronic pain Fibromyalgia Mind-body interventions Mind-body therapy Systematic review
Citations 15
Key findings Mind-body therapies, except mindfulness-based stress reduction, showed significant improvements in pain at the end of treatment in at least one study, with multiple studies on guided imagery, qi gong, and tai chi also improving fatigue, function, and sleep.

Abstract

Fibromyalgia is a chronic and disabling condition that presents management challenges for both patients and healthcare providers. The objective of this systematic review was to summarize current evidence on the effectiveness and safety of mind-body therapies in the treatment and/or management of fibromyalgia. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, AMED, and CINAHL databases from their inception to December 2023. Eligible articles included adults diagnosed with fibromyalgia participating in a mind-body therapy intervention and were published from the beginning of 2012 onwards. We assessed the quality of the studies using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklists. Of 3866 records screened, 27 studies (30 articles) met our inclusion criteria, in which 22 were randomized controlled trials and 5 were quasi-experimental studies. Mind-body therapies included guided imagery (n = 5), mindfulness-based stress reduction (n = 5), qi gong (n = 5), tai chi (n = 5), biofeedback (n = 3), yoga (n = 2), mindfulness awareness training (n = 1), and progressive muscle relaxation (n = 1). With the exception of mindfulness-based stress reduction, all therapies had at least one study showing significant improvements in pain at the end of treatment. Multiple studies on guided imagery, qi gong, and tai chi observed significant improvements in pain, fatigue, multidimensional function, and sleep. Approximately one-third of the studies reported on adverse events. This review suggests that mind-body therapies are potentially beneficial for adults with fibromyalgia. Further research is necessary to determine if the positive effects observed post-intervention are sustained. Open Science Framework (https://osf.io) (September 12, 2023; https://doi.org/10.17605/osf.io/6w7ac).

Comparable studies

Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on meditation, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being Diverse adult clinical populations 2014 Meta-analysis n = 3,515
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis Healthy subjects 2009 Systematic review and meta-analysis
The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Nonclinical groups of adult meditators 2012 Meta-analysis n = 163
Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive Relapse Adults with recurrent depression in full or partial remission 2016 Meta-analysis of individual patient data from randomized controlled trials n = 1,258
Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy – a systematic review of randomized controlled trials 2011 Systematic review

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