RESUMO Objetivou-se avaliar o impacto do apoio social sobre os sintomas de mulheres brasileiras com fibromialgia (FM). Trata-se de um estudo observacional descritivo que selecionou 66 mulheres que atendiam aos critérios do Colégio Americano de Reumatologia (ACR) de 1990. O apoio social foi medido com o Social Support Survey (MOS-SSS), a funcionalidade com o Questionário do Impacto da Fibromialgia (FIQ), a depressão com o Inventário de Depressão de Beck (BDI), a ansiedade com a Escala de Ansiedade de Hamilton (HAS), a afetividade com o Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (Panas) e foi feita algometria para registrar o limiar da dor à pressão (LDP) e a tolerância álgica à pressão (TAP) nos 18 pontos recomendados pelo ACR. Os pacientes foram divididos nos grupos apoio social normal (ASN) ou ruim (ASR); o ASR foi definido como uma pontuação nos MOS-SSS abaixo do percentil 25 da amostra total. Usou-se o teste de Mann-Whitney ou o teste t não pareado para comparar variáveis intergrupos e o de Fisher para as variáveis categóricas. Usaram-se a análise de covariância e o teste de correlação de Pearson. Não houve diferença nas variáveis sociodemográficas entre os grupos ASN e ASR. Observaram-se diferenças entre os grupos ASN e ASR para todas as quatro subcategorias de apoio social e pontuação total do MOS-SSS. Encontraram-se diferenças significativas entre o ASN e o ASR na depressão (p = 0,007), afeto negativo (p = 0,025) e LDP (p = 0,016). A subcategoria apoio afetivo mostrou correlação positiva entre a dor e o afeto positivo no grupo ASR. A subcategoria interação social positiva mostrou uma correlação negativa entre o FIQ e o estado de depressão. Portanto, o apoio social parece contribuir para a melhoria na saúde mental e física na FM.

ABSTRACT We aimed to assess the impact of social support on symptoms in Brazilian women with FM. An observational, descriptive study enrolling 66 women who met the 1990 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria. Social support was measured by the Social Support Survey (MOS-SSS), functionality was evaluated using the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), depression was assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), anxiety was measured using the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAS), affectivity was measured by Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), and algometry was carried out to record pressure pain threshold (PPth) and tolerance (PPTo) at 18 points recommended by the ACR. Patients were divided into normal (NSS) or poor social support (PSS) groups with PSS defined as having a MOS-SSS score below the 25th percentile of the entire sample. Mann-Whitney or Unpaired t-test were used to compare intergroup variables and Fisher's for categorical variables. Analysis of covariance and Pearson correlation test were used. No differences in sociodemographic variables between PSS and NSS were found. Differences between NSS and PSS groups were observed for all four subcategories of social support and MOS-SSS total score. Significant differences between NSS and PSS on depression (p = 0.007), negative affect (p = 0.025) and PPTh (p = 0.016) were found. Affectionate subcategory showed positive correlation between pain and positive affect in PSS. Positive social interaction subcategory showed a negative correlation between FIQ and depression state. Therefore social support appears to contribute to ameliorate mental and physical health in FM.

Objetivo: Avaliar e comparar o efeito da cinesioterapia na qualidade de vida, função sexual e sintomas climatéricos em mulheres climatéricas com e sem fibromialgia. Métodos: Participaram 90 mulheres climatéricas, divididas em dois grupos: fibromialgia (47) e controle (43). As pacientes foram avaliadas nas variáveis: qualidade de vida (Utian Quality of Life [UQOL]), função sexual (questionário do quociente sexual/versão feminina [QS-F]) e intensidade dos sintomas climatérios (Índice Menopausal de Blatt-Kupperman [IMBK]). Os grupos fizeram cinesioterapia para o assoalho pélvico, composto de 20 sessões, duas vezes por semana. Análise estatística foi feita por meio dos testes t de Student pareado, análise de variância de delineamento misto e Kappa de Cohen. Resultados: Na qualidade de vida, foi observada melhoria em ambos os grupos para todos os domínios avaliados. Na análise intergrupo foi evidenciada diferença nos domínios emocional (p = 0,01), saúde (0,03) e sexual (p = 0,001) com ganhos mais expressivos para o grupo controle. Na função sexual, foi verificada melhoria nos grupos, após a intervenção; na análise intergrupo as fibromiálgicas apresentaram escores inferiores ao grupo controle (p < 0,001). Em relação aos sintomas climatéricos não houve diferença na análise intergrupo pós-intervenção (p = 0,73). Entretanto, ambos os grupos apresentaram redução significativa da sintomatologia após a intervenção (p < 0,001). Conclusões: A cinesioterapia do assoalho pélvico exerce efeito benéfico sobre os domínios da qualidade de vida, função sexual e sintomatologia climatérica em mulheres com e sem fibromialgia na fase do climatério. Entretanto, a fibromialgia parece ser fator limitante para melhores resultados em alguns aspectos avaliados

Objective: To evaluate the effect of the kinesiotherapy in the quality of life, sexual function and menopause-related symptoms and compare in climacteric women with and without fibromyalgia (FM). Methodology: The group was composed of 90 climacteric women divided in 2 groups: FM (47) and control (43). The patients were analyzed on their quality of life (Utian Quality of Life [UQoL]), sexual function (Sexual Quotient-Female Version [SQ-F] questionnaire) and intensity of the climacteric symptoms (Blatt–Kupperman menopausal index [BKMI]). Both groups performed pelvic floor kinesiotherapy, composed of 20 sessions, twice a week. Statistical analysis was performed using Student's t-test, mixed-design analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Cohen's Kappa. Results: In the quality of life, an improvement was noticed in both groups for all domains analyzed. In the comparison between groups it was noticed a difference in the emotional (p = 0.01), health (p = 0.03) and sexual (p = 0.001) domains with considerable gains verified in the control group. Improvement was also noticed in the sexual function. In the analysis between groups, FM group showed a lower score compared to the control group (p < 0.001). With respect to the climacteric symptoms, there was no difference in the analysis between groups after the intervention (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The pelvic floor kinesiotherapy promotes a positive effect in the domains of quality of life, sexual function and climacteric symptoms in women with and without fibromyalgia in the climacteric period; however, fibromyalgia seems to be a limiting factor to achieve better results in some of the aspects evaluated.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:Fibromyalgia syndrome is a chronic condition causing spontaneous widespread pain associated with hypersensitivity. This study aimed at investigating the pressure pain endurance in women with fibromyalgia syndrome to determine the range of painful stimulation that an individual with fibromyalgia syndrome can resist acceptably.METHODS:We conducted an observational, descriptive, crosssectional study with 60 subjects (51.23±8 years), who met the American College of Rheumatology/1990 (ACR) criteria for fibromyalgia syndrome, and 42 healthy volunteers (48.33±9 years) as the control group. Algometry was performed to record pressure pain detection threshold and pressure pain tolerance, and fibromyalgia impact questionnaire was used to determine the impact of fibromyalgia syndrome. Pressure pain endurance was calculated as the arithmetic difference between pressure pain tolerance and pressure pain detection threshold.RESULTS:A significant difference in fibromyalgia impact questionnaire (p<0.0001), pressure pain detection threshold, and pressure pain tolerance (p<0.0001) was found between both groups. Furthermore, a significant difference in pressure pain endurance (p<0.0001) for each of the 18 points identified by ACR was noted between both groups, with the highest range of physical stimulation observed in the control group. A correlation between pressure pain endurance and pressure pain detection threshold (r=0.8334; p<0.0001) and pressure pain tolerance (r=0.8387; p< 0.0001) was observed in the fibromyalgia syndrome group.CONCLUSION:Pressure pain endurance of the fibromyalgia syndrome group was extremely lower, when compared with that of healthy controls, and may be used as an additional component to measure the disturbance in pain perception and to determine the range of painful stimulation that an individual with fibromyalgia syndrome can acceptably resist.

Talassoterapia e balneoterapia são modalidades terapêuticas utilizadas há vários anos em outras regiões do mundo na prevenção e no tratamento de diversas enfermidades, incluindo doenças reumáticas. No entanto, só recentemente têm sido descritas na literatura em fibromialgia (FM), contribuindo para a redução da dor e de outros sintomas da doença e melhorando a qualidade de vida dos pacientes. Nesta revisão são relatados os principais estudos que avaliam a talassoterapia e/ou a balneoterapia como abordagem terapêutica na FM, abordando aspectos a serem investigados no intuito de estabelecer o valor dessa forma de tratamento. Os autores ainda destacam a necessidade da realização de estudos no Brasil, utilizando principalmente a talassoterapia, uma vez que o baixo custo, aliado ao fácil acesso de boa parte das pessoas ao litoral, podem beneficiar pacientes com FM.

Thalassotherapy and balneotherapy are therapeutic strategies commonly used in other countries for the prevention and treatment of several diseases, including rheumatic diseases. However, only in the recent years its use in the treatment of fibromyalgia (FM) has been reported. The potential beneficial effects include the reduction of pain and other related symptoms of FM, thus improving the quality of life. The authors revise studies focusing on thalassotherapy and/or balneotherapy in the treatment of FM, discussing their benefits and methodological biases that still preclude a more precise evaluation on the efficacy of these methods. Finally, the authors emphasize the need for such studies in Brazil, mainly thalassotherapy, since the low cost and good accessibility to sea, might well provide benefit to our patients.

A "Escola de Coluna" vem sendo utilizada como forma de prevenção e tratamento das algias da coluna desde sua criação, em 1969, mas estudos sobre sua eficácia na literatura ainda são controversos. Neste artigo, os autores fazem uma revisão histórica sobre a implantação e difusão da "Escola de Coluna" no mundo e no Brasil, as diversas modificações e adaptações ocorridas ao longo dos anos onde tem sido utilizada e, finalmente, apresentam os estudos que discutem sua eficácia em pacientes com lombalgia crônica.

The "Back School" has been used as a way of preventing and treating back pain since 1969, but reports in the literature on its effectiveness remain controversial. In this article, the authors report a historic revision about the implantation and diffusion of "Back School" in the world and in Brazil as well as the modifications and adaptations occurred during the years. Finally, they present studies that approach the effectiveness of the "Back School" in patients with non-specific chronic low back pain.