Revista brasileira de reumatologia
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Review
Back schools in Brazil: a review of the intervention methodology, assessment tools, and results.
The Back School is characterized as an educational program aimed at individuals who have chronic pain in spine. In Brazil, a growing number of research studies on the effects of such programs have been observed in the last decades. Thus, the purpose of this systematic review was to identify studies on Back Schools carried out in Brazil with a population of adults and elderlies, and to compare their intervention methodologies, data collection tools, and results. ⋯ The studies included in this systematic review demonstrated, in general, the immediate efficacy in reducing pain and improving functional capacity and quality of life after the Back School. Results, however, are still conflicting regarding the efficacy in the medium and long terms. Thus, it becomes necessary to conduct further studies that include follow-up assessments in the medium and long terms in order to obtain more accurate conclusions about the efficacy of Back Schools.
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The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of treatment by hydrotherapy on quality of life, perception of pain and the severity of depression in a group of patients with fibromyalgia. ⋯ The study suggests that hydrocinesiotherapy was effective as an alternative therapy for fibromyalgia, however further studies are recommended to test the associations between the variables and intervention programs and using the water activities, and the modifiability of the parameters of physical and mental health when these individuals undergo programs of short, medium and long duration.
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Comparative Study
Physical activity level and physical performance in the 6-minute walk test in women with fibromyalgia.
Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic pain condition that causes impaired functional capacity, possibly through the adoption of sedentary behaviour. However, little is known regarding physical activity level and its relationship with physical performance in women with FM. ⋯ Women with FM had physical activity levels similar to women without FM but exhibited worse physical performance. This functional impairment may be related to lifestyle adopted because there was a relationship between physical activity level and physical performance in those patients.
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Cutaneous silent period (CSP) is an inhibitory spinal protective reflex and its afferents consist of A-delta nerve fibers. We aimed to evaluate patients with fibromyalgia (FM) and healthy controls to determine any differences between the groups in terms of CSP duration and latency, and if present, to determine whether there is any relationship with disease characteristics, psychological disorders and quality of life. ⋯ CSP latencies in both upper and lower extremities in patients with FM are longer than in healthy volunteers. Moreover, prolongation of CSP latency in the lower extremity is associated with disease severity and physical functional disability.
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Fibromyalgia affects 8% of the population over the age of 40 years, and 75% of the patients with fibromyalgia have poor sleep quality. ⋯ Hydrotherapy improves sleep quality, physical function, professional status, psychological disorders and physical symptoms in patients with fibromyalgia.