Patient’s Perceived Efficacy of the Most Common Treatments for the Management of Fibromyalgia Symptoms: An Ongoing Nationwide Survey
California Health Sciences University Research Day 2022
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Abstract
<p>In this ongoing cross-sectional study, a survey was created to record the symptoms of patients with fibromyalgia (FM) severity, including chronic pain, chronic fatigue, and sleep disturbances, on a scale from 0 (no symptom) to 10 (worst intensity). Furthermore, patients’ satisfaction with pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions using a scale from 1 (very unsatisfied) to 10 (very satisfied) has been used. The survey has been disseminated among local and state-level patient support groups. The survey has been recording data from June 2020 and is expected to close in June 2023, targeting the final sample size of 1,000 participants. Results: The survey has recorded responses from 116 participants from 32 states. 94% of the participants were females and self-identified as Caucasians. The most common reported symptoms were: chronic fatigue (96%), widespread muscular pain (94%), and sleep disturbances. The most frequent pharmacological treatments were: celecoxib (31%), duloxetine (29%), gabapentin (22%), and opioids (30%). 67% of the participants have been practicing physical exercise as a means of symptom management. 24% of the participants were unaware that physical therapy (PT)could treat FM symptoms. Among the participants taking opioids for pain management, 36% of them were unaware that PT could help with pain management. The satisfaction levels with non-pharmacological interventions were significantly higher than the satisfaction with pharmacological interventions (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Preliminary data show an alarming number of patients with FM taking opioid medications for pain management. The preliminary data also suggests that non-pharmacological interventions are perceived as more effective than pharmacological interventions.p>Subjects
Affiliations
- California State University, Fresno, Department of Physical Therapy