Tai Chi for Fibromylagia

描述(申请人提供)：纤维肌痛(FM)是一种常见的、复杂的慢性疾病，以弥漫性肌肉骨骼疼痛、疲劳、功能障碍、残疾和心理困扰为特征，在美国有600-1000万人受到影响。目前还没有令人满意的药物或非药物治疗FM。迫切需要新的具有成本效益的战略，以减少肌肉骨骼疼痛，改善FM患者的情感和身体功能以及生活质量。 太极是一项传统的中国学科，包括身体和精神两部分，似乎对各种慢性病有益。身体部分提供的锻炼与FM(肌肉调理和有氧心血管运动)推荐的运动一致，而精神部分有可能改善心理健康、生活满意度和对健康的看法。这些效应尤其适用于FM患者的治疗。因此，我们的长期目标是测试太极锻炼作为FM患者的补充治疗对身体和心理的好处。 作为第一步，我们计划进行一项太极治疗FM的试点随机对照试验。我们将在两年内招募40名FM患者。患者将随机接受12周的太极拳或注意力控制干预。评估将在基线、第12周和第24周进行。主要的结果衡量标准将是12周干预结束时纤维肌痛影响问卷得分的变化。 我们的具体目标是(1)评估太极在FM患者中进行随机对照试验的可行性和逻辑；(2)研究太极对FM患者肌肉骨骼疼痛、功能障碍、残疾、疲劳、睡眠质量、心理状态和健康状况的影响。这项拟议的研究将提供关于太极对FM的潜在可接受性和安全性的初步数据，并将有助于指导未来这种替代疗法有效性的大规模研究的设计。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Fibromyalgia (FM) is a common, complex chronic condition marked by diffuse musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, functional impairment, disability, and psychological distress, that affects 6-10 million people in the United States. There are currently no satisfactory pharmacological or non-pharmacological treatments for FM. New cost-effective strategies that reduce musculoskeletal pain and improve emotional and physical functioning as well as quality of life in people with FM are urgently needed. Tai Chi is a traditional Chinese discipline with both physical and mental components that appears to benefit a variety of chronic conditions. The physical component provides exercise that is consistent with that recommended for FM (muscle conditioning and aerobic cardiovascular exercise), while the mental component has the potential to improve psychological well-being, life satisfaction, and perceptions of health. These effects are especially pertinent for the treatment of individuals with FM. Thus, our long-term goal is to test the physical and psychological benefits of Tai Chi exercise as a complementary treatment for people with FM. As a first step, we plan to conduct a pilot randomized controlled trial of Tai Chi for treatment of FM. We will enroll 40 patients with FM over a two year period. Patients will be randomized to either 12 weeks of Tai Chi or an attention control intervention. Assessments will be performed at baseline, week 12 and week 24 follow up. The primary outcome measure will be the change in the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire score at the end of the12-week intervention. Our specific aims are to (1) evaluate the feasibility and logistics of conducting a randomized controlled trial of Tai Chi in patients with FM; and (2) study its effects on musculoskeletal pain, functional impairment, disability, fatigue, sleep quality, psychological states, and health status in people with FM. This proposed study will provide preliminary data on the potential acceptability and safety of Tai Chi for FM and will help guide the design of a future large-scale study of the efficacy of this alternative therapy.