Exercise-based Motivational Interviewing for Fibromyalgia
Condition: Fibromyalgia
MeSH terms: Fibromyalgia; Myofascial Pain Syndromes
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Fibromyalgia (FMS), defined as the presence of both chronic widespread pain and the finding
      of 11/18 tender points on examination, affects 2% of the general population. Drug therapy for
      FMS is largely symptomatic as there is not yet a complete understanding of the pathogenesis
      of the disease. In the past 17 years, supervised aerobic exercise has emerged as an important
      treatment modality to improve pain, aerobic capacity, function, and well-being. Individuals
      who are able to adhere to exercise almost always maintain the symptomatic benefits of
      exercise. Unfortunately, the rate of exercise adherence six months after the completion of a
      well-structured supervised exercise program is disappointingly low. Furthermore, although the
      efficacy of supervised aerobic exercise in the research setting is well documented, the
      applicability of such intervention in the clinic setting is doubtful. Therefore, we propose
      to conduct the Research to Encourage Exercise for Fibromyalgia (REEF), a randomized
      attention-controlled trial whose primary aim is to evaluate the efficacy of
      telephone-delivered motivational interviewing (MI) to encourage exercise, in improving
      exercise adherence and self-report physical function (co-primary outcome measures) for FMS
      patients. REEF will enroll 200 FMS patients, randomizing them to either the MI group or the
      attention-control (AC) group. Participants from each group will receive a total of 6
      telephone calls within a 12-week period. Prior to the phone calls, participants from both
      groups will receive an individualized exercise prescription and 2 supervised exercise
      training sessions to get them started on an exercise program. All subjects will undergo
      comprehensive outcome assessment at baseline, week 12, week 24, and week 36. The secondary
      aim of this proposal is to determine the mediators between MI and improvement in self-report
      physical function. The proposed research is significant because our focus is the promotion of
      adherence to an exercise program, of adequate intensity, in order to maximize functioning and
      well-being for patients with FMS. The use of a predominantly home-based exercise program and
      telephone-delivered MI by a trained licensed practice nurse (LPN) could potentially make the
      proposed intervention more accessible to the greater majority of FMS patients. Furthermore,
      if proven efficacious, MI could readily be applied to other chronically painful conditions
      (e.g. chronic back pain).
    


Intervention name(s): Attention Control Counseling; Motivational Interviewing
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Subjects will receive educational-based telephone counseling regarding fibromyalgia.; Subjects will receive Motivational Interviewing telephone counseling.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single (Investigator)
Primary purpose: Supportive Care
Keywords: Fibromyalgia; Fibromyalgia patients