Abstract

Background: The fibromyalgia is a frequent problem. Its prevalence varies according to the studied population, ranging between 0.7 and 20% in clinical practice. Furthermore, it is the most common cause of generalized and chronic musculoskeletal pain.

Objectives: To revise the main scientific evidences in order to determine the effectiveness of the physical therapy in women with fibromyalgia.

Methods: A search of randomized controlled clinical trials was carried out in Pubmed, Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) and Web of Science (WOS) using Fibromyalgia, Physiotherapy and Physical Therapy as descriptors and restricting the results to those published from 2010 to date in English or Spanish. The PEDro and Jadad scales were used to evaluate the quality of the studies.

Results: A total of 1,405 studies were found, of which 11 were selected according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria and classified into eight groups taking into account the type of procedure: multidisciplinary therapy, vibration, physical exercise, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), balneotherapy, yoga, myofascial release and belly dancing.

Conclusions: This systematic review found evidence for the effectiveness of the physical therapy in women diagnosed with fibromyalgia. It is shown that complementary therapies such as yoga or belly dancing are effective, which suggests that these should be used for the physiotherapists in women with fibromyalgia.