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Physikalische Medizin, Rehabilitationsmedizin, Kurortmedizin 2020; 30(06): 370-376
DOI: 10.1055/a-1137-0054
Original Article

Effectiveness of Hydro-Galvanic Bath Therapy on Global Health Status, Quality of Life, Depression, and Pain in Individuals with Fibromyalgia – A Quasi-Experimental Study

Wirksamkeit der hydro-galvanischen Badetherapie auf globalen Gesundheitszustand, Lebensqualität, Depressionen und Schmerzen bei Personen mit Fibromyalgie – Eine quasi-experimentelle Studie
Mastour Saeed Alshahrani
1   Medical Rehabilitation, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
,
Ravi Shankar Yerragonda Reddy 
1   Medical Rehabilitation, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
,
Jaya Shankar Tedla
1   Medical Rehabilitation, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
› Author Affiliations Funding: Internal Funding (G.R.P-23-40) was received from the King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
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Abstract

Purpose Although a number of treatments are widely prescribed for fibromyalgia (FM), many are not fully effective. In clinical practice, the effectiveness of electrotherapy is limited in particular to hydro-galvanic bath therapy in the management of FM. This experiment aims to evaluate whether hydro-galvanic bath therapy can be beneficial in decreasing pain and increasing quality of life for individuals with FM.

Material and Methods This quasi-experimental study recruited 92 individuals diagnosed with FM who were then divided equally either into a galvanic group or control group. The galvanic group received both hydro-galvanic bath therapy and a 12-week supervised aerobic exercise program, whereas the control group only received the exercise program. Outcomes were assessed at baseline and post-intervention using the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), SF-36 Health Survey, and Visual Analog Scale (VAS).

Results and discussion Individuals in both groups showed excellent compliance with interventions by attending more than 85% of sessions. Both groups showed a significant change in all outcome measures evaluated (p<0.001), but the galvanic group showed greater improvements when compared with the control group (p<0.001). The galvanic group showed a 16.6% of FIQ score, 8.2% of SF-36 score, 25.0% of BDI score, and 53.2% of VAS score from baseline. In turn, the control group demonstrated a reduction of 6.8% of FIQ score, 11.8% of SF-36 score, 22.0% of BDI score, and 41.6% of VAS score.

Conclusion The galvanic group who received galvanic bath therapy along with aerobic exercise for 12 weeks evoked greater change in FIQ, BDI, and SF-36 Health Survey scores compared with results of aerobic exercise alone in control group.

Zusammenfassung

Zweck Obwohl eine Reihe von Behandlungen für Fibromyalgie (FM) weit verbreitet sind, sind viele nicht vollständig wirksam. In der klinischen Praxis ist die Wirksamkeit der Elektrotherapie insbesondere auf die hydro-galvanische Badetherapie bei der Behandlung von FM beschränkt. In diesem Experiment soll untersucht werden, ob die hydro-galvanische Badetherapie zur Schmerzlinderung und Steigerung der Lebensqualität von FM-Patienten beitragen kann.

Material und Methoden In dieser quasi-experimentellen Studie wurden 92 mit FM diagnostizierte Personen rekrutiert, die dann zu gleichen Teilen entweder in eine galvanische Gruppe oder eine Kontrollgruppe unterteilt wurden. Die galvanische Gruppe erhielt sowohl eine hydro-galvanische Badetherapie als auch ein 12-wöchiges betreutes Aerobic-Übungsprogramm, während die Kontrollgruppe nur das Übungsprogramm erhielt. Die Ergebnisse wurden zu Studienbeginn und nach der Intervention unter Verwendung des Fibromyalgie-Impakt-Fragebogens (FIQ), des Beck-Depressions-Inventars (BDI), des SF-36-Gesundheits-Surveys und der visuellen Analogskala (VAS) bewertet.

Ergebnisse und Diskussion Die Teilnehmer beider Gruppen zeigten eine hervorragende Übereinstimmung mit den Interventionen, da sie an mehr als 85% der Sitzungen teilnahmen. Beide Gruppen zeigten eine signifikante Veränderung in allen bewerteten Endpunkten (p<0,001), die galvanische Gruppe zeigte jedoch größere Verbesserungen im Vergleich zur Kontrollgruppe (p<0,001). Die galvanische Gruppe zeigte 16,6% des FIQ-Wertes, 8,2% des SF-36-Wertes, 25,0% des BDI-Wertes und 53,2% des VAS-Wertes gegenüber dem Ausgangswert. Die Kontrollgruppe zeigte wiederum eine Verringerung des FIQ-Wertes um 6,8%, des SF-36-Wertes um 11,8%, des BDI-Wertes um 22,0% und des VAS-Wertes um 41,6%.

Schlussfolgerung Die galvanische Gruppe, die 12 Wochen lang eine galvanische Badetherapie zusammen mit Aerobic-Übungen erhalten hatte, zeigte eine größere Veränderung der Ergebnisse der FIQ-, BDI- und SF-36-Gesundheitsumfrage im Vergleich zu den Ergebnissen von Aerobic-Übungen allein in der Kontrollgruppe.

Key words

Fibromyalgia - Aerobic exercise - Hydro-galvanic bath - Rehabilitation

Schlüsselwörter

Fibromyalgie - Aerobic Übung - Hydro-galvanisches Bad - Rehabilitation


Publication History

Received: 10 December 2019

Accepted: 05 March 2020

Article published online:
01 April 2020

© 2020. Thieme. All rights reserved.

Georg Thieme Verlag KG
Rüdigerstraße 14, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany

 

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