Abstract:
Introduction – Aim
Fibromyalgia (FM) is a debilitating disease characterized by generalized and persistent musculoskeletal pain.
This study is aiming to answer the following questions:
1) Can pregabalin reduce chronic pain and sleep disturbances in this group of patients?
2) Are there any potential effective nonpharmacological treatment options for fifibromyalgia?
Material – Methods
This study is a prospective observational study. Patients with a clinical diagnosis of fifibromyalgia based on the Greek Version of the Fibromyalgia Rapid Screening Tool (FIRST) with the following inclusion criteria were invited to participate to the study: a) pain ≥ 7 (VAS scale = 7-10), b) pain duration > 3 years, c) referred sleep disturbances, d) no previous treatment with pregabalin /nonpharmacological treatment.
Results
Of the 62 patients who were suffering from fifibromyalgia (March 2018- January 2019), 22 patients met our inclusion criteria. 98% of them were women, aged between 38-62 years old. The patients were prescribed pregabalin 75-600 mg as a pharmacological treatment (1) and also received one complementary reflexology session per week. The 3 months follow-up showed significant improvement both in pain scores (VAS 4-6) and sleep quality. The patients’ satisfaction was also high.
Conclusion
The combination of pregabalin as a pharmacological treatment with a complementary therapy, reduces pain and sleep disturbances in patients suffering from fibromyalgia.
References
1) Validation of the Greek Version of the Fibromyalgia Rapid Screening Tool. Zis et al, Pain Practice,2017;
2) Chronic Pain and Sleep Disturbances: A Pragmatic Review of Their Relationships, Comorbidities, and Treatments. Husak AJ, Bair MJ. Pain Med. 2020