Effects of Physiotherapy vs. Acupuncture in Quality of Life, Pain, Stiffness, Difficulty to Work and Depression of Women with Fibromyalgia: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Fibromyalgia is a chronic clinical condition characterized by pain and other associated symptoms that have a negative impact on the quality of life of the affected person. The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a core stability training physiotherapy program compared to an acupuncture treatment on quality of life, pain, joint stiffness, difficulty to work and depression of women with fibromyalgia. Methods: This was a single-blind, randomized clinical controlled trial. Women with fibromyalgia were randomized to a core stability physiotherapy program group (n = 45), an acupuncture treatment group (n = 45) and a control group (n = 45) for 13 weeks. Measurements were taken at baseline (week 0), post-intervention (week 6) and at follow-up (week 13). The primary outcome measure was quality of life (Spanish Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire). The secondary outcome measures were pain, joint stiffness, difficulty to work and depression (Visual Analogue Scale). Results: In total, 103 participants completed the study. The results, from a descriptive perspective, showed improvements in all the outcome measures in both intervention groups (physiotherapy and acupuncture) at weeks 6 and 13 in relation to week 0 and in comparison to the control group. Only the difficulty to work measure in the acupuncture group showed a slight decrease at week 13. In particular, mean (+/- SD) Spanish Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire score at 6 weeks was 62.89 +/- 16.91 for the physiotherapy group, 62.5 +/- 18.09 for the acupuncture group and 67.45 +/- 17.07 for the control group. However, these improvements were not statistically significant. Conclusion: Core stability-based physiotherapy and acupuncture showed non-significant improvements in quality of life, pain, joint stiffness, difficulty to work and depression in women with fibromyalgia.