Author: Gur, Ali

Source: Current Pharmaceutical Design, Volume 12, Number 1, January 2006 , pp. 29-35(7)

Publisher: Bentham Science Publishers

Abstract:

The etiology of fibromyalgia syndrome (FM) is uncertain and the prognosis for symptomatic recovery is generally poor. A wide variety of interventions are used in the management of FM. There is, however, no clear consensus on the treatment of choice and FM remains relatively refractory to treatment. Therefore, prevention, causal therapy and rehabilitation are not possible. FM patients frequently use alternative therapies, indicating dissatisfaction or ineffectiveness of traditional medical therapy. Alternative therapies are generally perceived to be more "natural" and as a result, to have fewer adverse effects. Despite the positive results found, the number of publications related to the application of physical therapy modalities such as acupuncture, transcutaneous electrical stimulation, laser, biofeedback, electrotherapy and magnetic field is still scant, especially concerning FM treatment. The demonstration of a long-term effective intervention for managing the symptoms associated with FM is needed. Multidisciplinary approaches to management include physical and medical therapeutic strategies. Treatment modalities should be individualised for patients based on target symptoms and impairment in functioning. Patience and positive attitude on part of the physician and active involvement of patients and their families in treatment are likely to enhance improvement. It can be concluded that there is a need for larger, more systematic and methodologically sound randomised controlled clinical trials to evaluate the effectiveness of physical therapy modalities of managing FM. We will review some of the existing studies of physical therapy relevant in the treatment of FM and give some practical advice for their use.

Keywords: Fibromyalgia Syndrome; Alternative Medicine; Physical Therapy; Acupuncture; Laser; Biofeedback; Transcutaneous electrical stimulation; Ultrasound; Electrotherapy; Magnetotherapy

Document Type: Research article

Affiliations: 1: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Medical Faculty, Dicle University, 21280 Diyarbakir, Turkey;

Publication date: 2006-01-01

More about this publication?

• Current Pharmaceutical Design publishes timely in-depth reviews covering all aspects of current research in rational drug design. Each issue is devoted to a single major therapeutic area. A Guest Editor who is an acknowledged authority in a therapeutic field has solicits for each issue comprehensive and timely reviews from leading researchers in the pharmaceutical industry and academia.
  
  Each thematic issue of Current Pharmaceutical Design covers all subject areas of major importance to modern drug design, including: medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, drug targets and disease mechanism.

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