Self soft tissue therapy for fibromyalgia syndrome; feasibility study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Self soft tissue therapy for fibromyalgia syndrome; randomised controlled feasibility study.
IRAS ID
196976
Contact name
Rob M Grieve
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of the West of England
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 9 months, 30 days
Research summary
**No longer recruiting for the feasibility study** Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a long term condition of widespread chronic musculoskeletal pain, more prevalent in the female adult population and frequently associated with sleep disturbance, fatigue and affective dysfunction (mood disorders) (Wolfe et al 1990, Bennett 2009). Non-drug therapies, such as cognitive behavioural therapy and exercise, or a combination of the two approaches, are potentially beneficial for people with FMS (Nüesch 2012). Soft tissue therapy was recently shown to be effective for FMS in reducing pain intensity, widespread pain sensitivity, sleep quality and depressive symptoms (Castro-Sanchez et al 2014). Using soft tissue therapy to eliminate peripheral myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) may reduce central sensitisation (pain and sensitivity due to changes in the central nervous system (CNS) in particular — the brain and the spinal cord), widespread pain and associated symptoms in FMS (Giamberardino et al 2011). These MTrPs are specific points found within the muscles of the body, and have been associated with the overall FMS pain pattern (Alonso-Blanco et al 2011). The effective management of FMS is complex and requires a multidisciplinary and integrated treatment approach (Sarzi-Puttini et al 2011). Combining a hands-off (self-management and exercise) and self-hands-on (soft tissue therapy) approach may be more effective than utilising either approach in isolation. It was therefore agreed to start a programme of preliminary research on FMS treatment approaches between The Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases (RNHRD) and The University of the West of England (UWE). A proposed randomised controlled feasibility study using a self-soft tissue therapy (SSTT) intervention to deactivate MTrPs would be investigated as an adjunct to the already well established multidisciplinary FMS Coping Skills Programme (FCSP) conducted in the RNHRD outpatient department. The feasibility study would inform a future randomised controlled trial (RCT) and a future external grant application to take this collaborative research forward.
REC name
London - Fulham Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/LO/0598
Date of REC Opinion
6 May 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion