Fibromyalgia pain management effectiveness from the patient perspective: a qualitative evidence synthesis.
Carolina Climent-Sanz, Katrina R Hamilton, Oriol Martínez-Navarro and 5 others
PMID 37965900WHAT IT FOUND
Patients with fibromyalgia report conflicting views on pain management.
Exercise and medication are polarizing, with some finding relief and others experiencing worsened pain or side effects. Success often depends on individualized, person-centered care and validation of the diagnosis rather than standardized protocols.
Key findings
01Participants held opposing views on exercise, with some reporting it exacerbated pain and others finding it helped keep pain under control.
02Person-centered exercise programs implemented by experienced physiotherapists were associated with improvements in sleep, stiffness, and physical functioning.
03Telephone-based cognitive-behavioral therapy was often viewed as ineffective because it lacked individualization and failed to validate the patient's pain experience.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The synthesis focused exclusively on pain, potentially overlooking the impact of other co-occurring symptoms like fatigue and mood disorders. Confidence in findings related to psychological approaches was lower due to limited research and adequacy concerns. The review included studies published only in English or Spanish, which may limit generalizability. Heterogeneity in patient responses means that no single treatment approach is universally effective.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The work was supported by the N.I.H. (Extramural) and Non-U.S. Gov't research support.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the mixed results as evidence that these treatments do not work. Instead, view the variation as a signal that standardized, one-size-fits-all approaches often fail. The success of exercise and psychological interventions appears heavily dependent on individualization, provider qualification, and the patient's perception of validation.