The Importance of Daily Activity for Reducing Fibromyalgia Symptoms: A Retrospective 'Real World' Data Comparison of two Multimodal Treatment Programs

Objectives This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of two multidisciplinary fibromyalgia programs with different intensities. Materials and methods In this retrospective real-world comparison of patient data, pre- and post-program datasets of Short Form 36 (SF36) and Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) were obtained from a total of 210 female patients in two fibromyalgia multidisciplinary day hospital programs including one intensive program with daily treatments summing up to 20 treatment days during four weeks (P20, n=70) versus a less intensive program with 12 treatment days during four weeks (P12, n=140). Results Multiple subscales of SF36 and FIQ were improved in the pre-post comparison in both groups. In the comparison between the two groups, a statistically significantly higher improvement was found in the P20 group compared to the P12 group for the FIQ subscales of stiffness (p=0.001) and the number of days during which the patient felt "good" (p=0.007). Conclusion An intensive program of daily treatments and activity seems to be more effective in reducing fibromyalgia-associated stiffness and improving the number of days during which patients feel good than a less intensive program.