Fibromyalgia is a common, costly and debilitating illness which affects mostly women. Fibromyalgia patients report widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, stiffness, and distress. Several consensus statements indicate that optimal care combines medication, exercise, and psychology. Yoga is a popular mind/body discipline which holds promise for reducing fibromyalgia symptoms. The aim of this pilot study is to evaluate the effects of an innovative program, Yoga of Awareness, in which yoga poses are complemented by meditation and breathing exercises, presentations on healthy coping, and group discussions. Fifty-six women with fibromyalgia will be recruited and randomly divided into two groups. One group will receive the yoga program right away, and the other group will wait 3 months before receiving the program. Information about fibromyalgia symptoms and functioning will be collected from both groups before and immediately after the first group receives the yoga program. When results from the 2 groups are compared, the investigators expect patients who received the yoga program will have greater gains in fibromyalgia symptoms, physical function and pain coping capacities then those waiting to receive the program. If this study shows the yoga program is effective, the investigators will use this data in 2010 to apply to the National Institutes of Health for a more complete study of its benefits.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
68
The 8 week yoga program will meet in groups of about 8-10 persons. Each 2-hour session will include gentle stretching, strengthening, and balance poses; meditation exercises; breathing techniques; study of pertinent topics (eg, mind/body stress reactivity), and group discussions (eg, experiences while practicing yoga). Participants will be asked to practice yoga methods at home, guided by a DVD (or audio recordings). The program will be taught by a certified yoga teacher (RYT) who has extensive experience in teaching yoga to medical patients.
Oregon Health & Science University
Portland, Oregon, United States
Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire Revised (FIQR)
Time frame: baseline, 3 months, 6 months
Vanderbilt Multidimensional Pain Coping Inventory (VMPCI)
Time frame: baseline, 3 months, 6 months
Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire (CPAQ)
Time frame: baseline, 3 months, 6 months
Coping Strategies Questionnaire Catastrophizing Subscale (CSQCAT)
Time frame: baseline, 3 months, 6 months
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