The goal of this randomized controlled clinical trial is to investigate the effects of a telehealth exercise program on pain, symptoms, and cardiopulmonary fitness level of patients with fibromyalgia compared to a home exercise program. The main questions aims to answer: * Is telehealth exercise program is superior to unsupervised home exercise program in and increasing cardiopulmonary fitness level? * Is telehealth exercise program is superior to unsupervised home exercise program in controlling symptoms? Women participants with fibromyalgia randomized to an intervention or comparison group. Intervention group will exercise via telehealth system under supervision. Comparison group will exercise alone at home. Researchers will compare the effects of supervised telehealth exercise program and home exercise on pain, symptoms, and cardiopulmonary fitness level of patients with fibromyalgia.
This study is a randomized, parallel, superiority, controlled trial. Participants will be female patients with fibromyalgia who are admitted to Fibromyalgia Out-patient Clinic of Ankara University, Faculty of Medicine, Physical Medicine and Rehabillitation Department. Eligible patients will be randomized to be allocated to one of the two groups, experiment or control. Both groups will be informed about the possible positive effects of exercise. The experimental group will perform an exercise program including aerobic, range of motion, stretching exercises on zoom sessions of 45 minutes each, under the supervision of the investigator, following a prerecorded exercise video. They will exercise thrice a week for 8 weeks, in groups of five. Control group will have access to the same exercise video and guided for the first session. They will be asked to do the exercises at home, exact the same duration and frequency of the experimental group but without supervision, for 8 weeks. The control group will be called first once a week, than once in two weeks to remind exercising and fill out their exercise diary. All patients will be assessed by VAS for pain, Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), cardiopulmonary exercise test and 6 min. walking test (6MWT) before and at the end of 8-weeks exercise program. Other symptoms related to fibromyalgia such as fatigue, sleep etc will also be recorded. Primary outcome measure is pain. Secondary outcome measures will be cardiopulmonary fitness level (VO2max), functional physical activity level (6MWT), symptom severity, disease impact (FIQ), psychological status (HADS) and subjective assessment of general well-being. The study's hypothesis suggest that improvement will be superior in the experimental group without any side effects.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
60
Same as arm/group description
Same as arm/group description
Ankara University Faculty of Medicine
Ankara, Turkey (Türkiye)
Changes in Pain
Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain will be used to measure the amplitude of patients' pain with fibromyalgia which is one of the pain rating scales used for the first time in 1921 by Hayes and Patterson. A straight horizontal line of 100 mm will be used, of which the ends are defined as the extreme limits of pain orientated from the left (worst) to the right (best). 20 mm decrease in VAS pain is considered to be an clinically important improvement.
Time frame: 0 week, 8 week
Impact of fibromyalgia on daily activities
Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) is an instrument developed to assess the current health status of women with the fibromyalgia syndrome in clinical and research settings. Survey evaluates the severity of the condition on the individual's functional capacity and the quality of life. Each item is scored 0 to 10 and the total scores range from 0 to 100, where higher values indicate more disease impact. Scores are expressed as follows: from 0 to 38 mild effect, from 39 to 58 moderate effect, and from 59 to 100 severe impact. FIQ and validated in 1991 by Burckhardt et al., revised by Bennett RM, et al, in 2009. Revised FIQ was translated and adapted for the Turkish version in 2010 by Ediz, et al.
Time frame: 0 week, 8 week
Symptoms related to psychological status
Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was originally developed by Zigmond and Snaith (1983) and is commonly used to determine the levels of anxiety and depression that a person is experiencing. The HADS is a fourteen item scale that generates: Seven of the items relate to anxiety and seven relate to depression. Zigmond and Snaith created this outcome measure specifically to avoid reliance on aspects of these conditions that are also common somatic symptoms of illness, for example fatigue and insomnia or hypersomnia. So; it was created as a tool for the detection of anxiety and depression in people with physical health problems. Turkish validation and reliability study was done by Aydemir, et al (1997).
Time frame: 0 week, 8 week
Physical activity level
Physical activity will be assessed by VO2max which is the gold standard and will be directly measured by cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET). Before CPET dynamic lung function will be measured, and the exercise test will be performed by using Modified Bruce protocol on treadmill until the maximal exertion. During exercise testing ACSM's standards and guidelines (2021) will be followed. Standard CPET parameters such as oxygen consumption at anaerobic threshold, respiratory exchange ratio, respiratory quotient, and metabolic equivalent of task (MET) VO2-AT, RER, RQ, MET will also be recorded besides VO2max.
Time frame: 0 week, 8 week
Functional physical capacity
Functional capacity will be assessed by 6 minute walking test (6MWT) which was developed by the American Thoracic Society and it was officially introduced in 2002, coming along with a comprehensive guideline. It is a sub-maximal exercise test used to assess endurance. The distance covered over a time of 6 minutes is used as the outcome by which to compare changes in performance capacity. The test was initially designed to help in the assessment of patient with cardiopulmonary issues. Gradually, it was introduced in numerous other conditions. It evaluates the functional capacity of the individual and it provides valuable information regarding all the systems during physical activity, including pulmonary and cardiovascular systems, blood circulation, neuromuscular units, body metabolism, and peripheral circulation. The validity and reliability of the test in fibromyalgia was shown by King, et al 1999, Pankoff, at al 2000.
Time frame: 0 week, 8 week
This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.