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Neuromuscular exercise, CBT program improved function in patients with juvenile fibromyalgia
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Patients with juvenile fibromyalgia in this study showed biomechanical performance improvements after undergoing a program that combined cognitive behavioral therapy with neuromuscular exercise.
Susan T. Tran, PhD, from the Department of Psychology at DePaul University in Chicago, and colleagues evaluated 11 sedentary patients (mean age = 16 years) with juvenile fibromyalgia (JFM) who underwent biomechanical assessments of lower strength, walking gait, dynamic postural stability and functional performance before and after participating in the Fibromyalgia Integrative Training for Teens (FIT Teens) program, according to the abstract. The 8-week program included cognitive behavioral therapy coupled with a neuromuscular exercise training program that focused on improving balance, movement, posture and gait.
Susan T. Tran
The researchers found improved stride length in walking gait (about a 2-cm longer stride), a small improvement in peak torques in mean knee extension, a moderate improvement in mean hip abduction, and a strong increase in maximum hip flexion angle and trunk flexion angle. Regarding balance, there was moderate bilateral improvement of dynamic postural stability, according to the abstract.
Tran and colleagues noted biomechanical performance improvements could allow the participants to have “safer and more stable execution of functional tasks of daily living, such as sit-to-standing, walking, stair climbing, etc., while minimizing risk of overexertion, stress, injury, and/or pain in individuals with chronic pain.”
“Overall, the results of this pilot study offer initial evidence for the utility of biomechanical assessment to objectively demonstrate observable changes in biomechanical performance after an integrated training intervention for youth with JFM,” Tran and colleagues wrote in their study. “If replicated in larger controlled studies, findings would suggest that through the FIT Teens intervention, adolescents with JFM can progress toward normalized strength and biomechanics, which may enhance their ability to engage in physical exercise.” – by Jeff Craven
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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