Effect of Resistance Exercises on Function and Pain in Fibromyalgia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

OBJECTIVE: This review aimed to compare the effectiveness of resistance exercise with that of other exercises in functional improvement and pain control in patients with FM.

DESIGN: PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Cochrane databases were searched for studies published from their inception until March 2023. The following medical search heading terms were used: "resistance OR strength OR strengthening" AND "fibromyalgia". The analysis was performed using the statistical package Review Manager, version 5.4.1.

RESULTS: This study reviewed 11 randomized controlled trials involving 530 patients. In comparison with no intervention, resistance exercise reduced the FIQ total score, pain score, tender points, and depression and improved physical function. Compared with flexibility exercise, resistance exercise reduced the FIQ total score. Compared with aerobic exercise, resistance exercise shows similar effects on pain control, reduction of tender points and improvement of physical function.

CONCLUSIONS: Compared with other exercises, resistance exercise demonstrated a more favorable effect on the FIQ total score, and the effects on pain control, tender points, physical function, and depression were comparable. Thus, resistance exercise exhibits comparable or superior effects when compared with other interventions and more precise research is needed to confirm this conclusion.