OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the usefulness eutonia for the treatment fibromyalgia. METHODS: It was studied, for a six month period, 20 women diagnosed by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Classification Criteria. There was no change on pharmacological treatment or exercise prescription. They were evaluated immediately before and after eutonia sessions and one year after this treatment. The tools used were: socio-demographic questionnaire, Visual Analogic Scale (VAS) for pain, The Medical Outcome Study 36 Short Form Survey (SF-36). The patients were submitted to 25 sessions of eutonia technique and health education. RESULTS: There was a significant improvement in pain intensity by VAS (7,82 before and 4,17 after the intervention) and all SF-36 scales at the evaluation just after treatment. The improvement on pain was maintained after one year (4,18). The SF-36 scales results persisted until a year after intervention, although with a smaller intensity than the ones at the final of intervention. There is no therapeutic modality that can in an isolated manner solve all fibromyalgia patients demands. The psychological techniques combined to medicines and exercises have been shown to be useful in fibromyalgia patients' approach. Eutonia is a psychological technique that emphasizes self-knowledge as a therapy method and could be useful in the fibromyalgia approach. This study results show that eutonia causes a positive effect on pain and quality of life. CONCLUSION: Eutonia is a psychological technique useful as a treatment for fibromyalgia. In this study it was combined to usual treatment. Its effect is particularly important at pain intensity and quality of life.
fibromyalgia; eutonia; quality of life; pain
