Pool-based Exercise in Fibromyalgia Management

Pool-based Exercise in Fibromyalgia Management: a Prospective Randomized Comparison Between Stretching and Ai Chi

Status

Completed

Phases

Phase 4

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT00550641

Enrollment

Registered

2007-10-30

Start date

2006-03-31

Completion date

2006-12-31

Last updated

2010-04-06

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Fibromyalgia

Keywords

fibromyalgia, pool-based exercise

Brief summary

Pharmacologic treatment remains the primary therapeutic approach in fibromyalgia management, but different non-pharmacologic measures, especially physical therapies and psychologically-based interventions, have also shown to be effective in the treatment of this disease. The objective of the present randomized controlled trial is to compare the efficacy and tolerability of two different modalities of active low-impact exercise in warm water: stretching and Ai Chi. Each group of patients will receive 18 physiotherapy sessions lasting 60 minutes and will be evaluated at baseline, at treatment termination, and after 4 and 12 weeks of follow up. Main outcome measures are the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Secondary outcome measures include the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the State and Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and the SF-12 Health Survey (SF-12. Data analysis will be done using repeated measures ANOVA, unpaired Student's t test, and effect sizes' estimation (ES).

Interventions

OTHERphysical therapy

physical therapy in warm pool performing stretching

Study design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

PARALLEL

Primary purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

18 Years to 70 Years

Healthy volunteers

Inclusion criteria

* diagnosis of fibromyalgia according to the ACR criteria * 18 years or older * written informed consent to participate

Exclusion criteria

* unable to tolerate warm chlorinated water * associated medical condition contraindicating exercise in warm water

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Improvement in fibromyalgia symptomatology	18 weeks

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
Improvement in sleep, depressive and anxiety symptomatology and quality of life	18 weeks

Countries

Spain

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026