Date sent:      	Wed, 1 May 2002 

A Randomized Controlled Trial of Muscle Strengthening versus Flexibility
Training in Fibromyalgia

J Rheumatol 2002;29:1041-8

KIM DUPREE JONES, CAROL S. BURCKHARDT, SHARON R. CLARK, ROBERT M. BENNETT,
and KATHLEEN M. POTEMPA

From the Schools of Nursing and Medicine at The Oregon Health and Science
University, Portland, Oregon, USA.

Supported by an Individual National Research Service Award (#1F31
NR07337-01A1) from the National Institutes of Health, a doctoral
dissertation grant (#2324938) from the Arthritis Foundation, and funds from
the Oregon Fibromyalgia Foundation.

K.D. Jones, RN, PhD, Assistant Professor, School of Nursing; C.S.
Burckhardt, RN, PhD, Professor, School of Nursing, Assistant Professor
(Research), School of Medicine; S.R. Clark, RN, PhD, Associate Professor,
School of Nursing, Assistant Professor (Research), School of Medicine; R.M.
Bennett, MD, FRCP, Professor, School of Medicine; K.M. Potempa, RN, DNSc,
FAAN, Professor and Dean, School of Nursing.

Address reprint requests to Dr. K. Dupree Jones, School of Nursing, Mail
Code SN-5S, Oregon Health and Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park
Road, Portland, OR 97201, USA. E-mail: joneskim@ohsu.edu

Submitted March 13, 2001; revision accepted November 6, 2001.


ABSTRACT.

Objective. To determine the effectiveness of a muscle strengthening program
compared to a stretching program in women with fibromyalgia (FM).

Methods. Sixty-eight women with FM were randomly assigned to a 12 week,
twice weekly exercise program consisting of either muscle strengthening or
stretching. Outcome measures included muscle strength (main outcome
variable), flexibility, weight, body fat, tender point count, and disease
and symptom severity scales.

Results. No statistically significant differences between groups were found
on independent t tests. Paired t tests revealed twice the number of
significant improvements in the strengthening group compared to the
stretching group. Effect size scores indicated that the magnitude of change
was generally greater in the strengthening group than the stretching group.

Conclusion. Patients with FM can engage in a specially tailored muscle
strengthening program and experience an improvement in overall disease
activity, without a significant exercise induced flare in pain. Flexibility
training alone also results in overall improvements, albeit of a lesser
degree. (J Rheumatol 2002;29:1041-8)

Key Indexing Terms:

FIBROMYALGIA
EXERCISE
MUSCLE STRENGTHENING
FLEXIBILITY