• Abraham S Babu, Elsa Mathew, Debashish Danda, and Henry Prakash.
• Department of Physiotherapy, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India. abrahambabu@gmail.com
• Indian J Med Sci. 2007 Aug 1; 61 (8): 455-61.

ObjectiveFibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a chronic rheumatological condition which could be characterized by generalized pain and fatigue. Cognitive and behavioral therapy has been found to be a suitable technique in the management of FMS. This study intends to evaluate the efficacy of electromyography (EMG) biofeedback to reduce pain in patients with FMS.Materials And MethodsA randomized controlled trial involving two groups of FMS patients, one receiving EMG biofeedback and the other a sham biofeedback, was carried out. The assessment tools included in the study were fibromyalgia impact questionnaire (FIQ), visual analogue scale (VAS), six-minute walk test (SMWT) and number of tender points; and tenderness of each tender point was done for both the groups.StatisticsA Student's 't' test was used to study the test for significance.ResultsAfter using biofeedback, the mean VAS scores and the mean number of tender points were found to be 3 out of 10 and 6 out of 18 respectively. Subjective analysis from both groups showed improvement in physical and psychological realms. Statistical significance.ConclusionBiofeedback as a treatment modality reduces pain in patients with FMS, along with improvements in FIQ, SMWT and the number of tender points.

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