On the superiority of a combination of aerobic and resistance exercise for fibromyalgia syndrome: A network meta-analysis

Abstract

BackgroundFibromyalgia syndrome is the second most common chronic diffuse pain disorder and can have a lasting negative impact on the quality of life, pain, and physical function of people. Exercise therapy is an important component of the treatment of fibromyalgia, but there was not a consensus understanding of the effect of various exercise programs on the quality of life, pain, and physical function of people with fibromyalgia syndrome. This study aimed to compare three exercise programs (aerobic exercise, resistance exercise, and a combination of aerobic and resistance exercise) in their effectiveness in improving quality of life, relieving muscle pain, and enhancing physical function in patients with fibromyalgia.MethodsA comprehensive search of databases, including China National Knowledge Internet, Wan fang, The Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science, was conducted to identify randomized controlled trials on exercise therapy for patients with fibromyalgia syndrome with outcome indicators including at least one of Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), Tender point count (TPC), and 6-minute walk test (6MWT) from the date of database creation on 20 April 2022. The included studies were evaluated for literature quality according to Cochrane Handbook criteria, and a network meta-analysis was performed using STATA 14.0.ResultForty-five randomized controlled trials met all inclusion criteria and were analyzed. The network meta-analysis showed that a combination of aerobic and resistance exercise was ranked first in all three dimensions of quality of life improvement, pain alleviation, and physical function enhancement (Mean Rank = 1.6, 1.2, 5.9).ConclusionThe current meta-analysis demonstrates that the combination of aerobic and resistance exercise may be the best type of exercise to accentuate the quality of life, pain alleviation, and physical function for people with fibromyalgia syndrome.

The effectiveness of home-based therapeutic exercises on adults with fibromyalgia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Indeed, the cumulative evidence suggests that physiotherapy interventions offer substantial benefits in alleviating symptoms associated with fibromyalgia [3–17]. Resistance training, aerobic exercises, strength training, aquatic exercises, and flexibility exercises have all demonstrated positive effects.…”

“…Notably, resistance exercise stands out as a practical approach [11,16,17], emphasizing its superiority over no intervention and flexibility exercises in reducing pain, improving physical function, and enhancing QOL. Additionally, previous systematic reviews compared different exercise combinations found that a combination of aerobic and resistance exercise was most effective for enhancing QOL, pain alleviation, and physical function, while aerobic exercise alone effectively reduced pain perception and depression, with resistance exercise showing similar benefits, particularly in terms of pain reduction [8,13]. Stretching exercise also contributed to improved QOL [8,13].…”

“…Consequently, fibromyalgia leads to a decline in quality of life (QOL) and affects activities of daily living [2]. Indeed, the cumulative evidence suggests that physiotherapy interventions offer substantial benefits in alleviating symptoms associated with fibromyalgia [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17].…”

“…However, despite these favorable outcomes, participants often face challenges when attempting to engage in and adhere to vigorous or even moderate-intensity exercise regimens due to exacerbated fibromyalgia symptoms [18]. A range of diverse exercise regimens with varying intensities and durations have been employed in previous studies [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17]. These interventions were conducted at different locations and experienced differing levels of supervision and intensity.…”

Stress-associated weight gain, fibromyalgia symptoms, cardiometabolic markers, and human growth hormone suppression respond to an amino acid supplement blend: Results of a prospective, cohort study

“…There is no cure for fibromyalgia; treatment is individualized based on patient symptoms and may include medications, behavioral approaches, and lifestyle modifications, including regular exercise. The benefits of consistent resistance and aerobic physical activity regime, as well as multimodality physical therapy have been demonstrated in the current literature (7)(8)(9)(10).…”