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Exercise for Fibromyalgia: comparison between aquatic and land-based programs

Tuesday 4 November 2014

 

From PT [Physical Therapy] in Motion News:

 

PT in Motion News
 

Exercise Can Help Ease Fibromyalgia Symptoms, But No Clear Winner Between Aquatic and Land-Based Programs

Posted by News Now Staff at 1:21 PM
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2014

Exercise therapy can improve some symptoms of fibromyalgia, but conclusive evidence favoring aquatic or land-based programs as the best way to achieve those improvements is still lacking, according to a new Cochrane review of randomized controlled trials (article available through the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews in PTNow ArticleSearch [membership required]). The study is part of a larger update of a Cochrane review on exercise for treating fibromyalgia syndrome.

In an effort to determine how aquatic exercise training stacked up both to no exercise and land-based programs, researchers analyzed 16 aquatic training studies that included 866 women and 15 men. Aquatic exercise was compared with a non-exercise control group in 9 studies, and compared with land-based programs in 5 studies. In 2 studies, different types of aquatic exercise were compared with each other.

When it comes to the benefits of aquatic exercise compared with no exercise, researchers found that individuals with fibromyalgia who participated in the aquatic programs reported improvements in physical function, pain, and stiffness. The studies also noted improvements in muscle strength and cardiovascular fitness. Although improvements were characterized as statistically significant across all measures, only stiffness and muscle strength met researchers' 15% threshold for clinical relevance. In general, authors described the evidence as "low to moderate quality" in favor of aquatic training.

Comparisons of aquatic programs with land-based exercise yielded no clinically relevant differences between the 2, according to the study's authors, with evidence characterized as "very low to low quality."

The final analysis is that there can't really be a final analysis when it comes to an assessment of aquatic vs land-based exercise for improvement of fibromyalgia symptoms, according to the review. "As so few studies have been done so far, we are very uncertain about the results," authors write.

Research-related stories featured in PT in Motion News are intended to highlight a topic of interest only and do not constitute an endorsement by APTA. For synthesized research and evidence-based practice information, visit the association's PTNow website.

All contents © 2014 American Physical Therapy Association. All Rights Reserved.

 

The above originally appeared here.

 


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