The Effect of Physiotherapy Integrated With Yoga and Mindfulness on Individuals With Fibromyalgia

Summary

The current study investigates the effect of an integrative physiotherapy and mind-body program called PhYoMind intervention on disability and symptoms in individuals with fibromyalgia (FM). Participants will be randomized to either the PhYoMind intervention, which combines specific physiotherapy techniques with yoga and mindfulness, or to a home exercise control group. The intervention lasts 8 weeks, with supervised and home sessions. The primary outcome is disability, with secondary outcomes including measures of central and autonomic nervous system function, pain perception, stress, fatigue, and sleep quality. Adverse events and adherence of the intervention will be also assessed.

Conditions

• Fibromyalgia (FM)
• Chronic Pain

Interventions

OTHER

PhYoMind

This integrative intervention method includes some specific physiotherapy techniques, ( e. g. self proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation, self nerve gliding, self mobility, post isometric relaxation techniques) yoga postures, left nostril breathing, humming bee breathing and mindfulness practices. Each session will be 75 minutes and focus on different parts of the body and yoga postures will be selected according to these focused areas. For each week, a specific body area will be chosen as the focus. For example, the first week will focus on the hip area and lower extremities, the second week on the upper body and upper extremities, the third week on the core and anterior line of the body, and the fourth week on the back and posterior line of the body and this sequence will continue through the eighth week. In addition to these sessions, participants in this group will also apply home exercises (aerobic+strenghtening+streching) twice a week, 60 minutes per practice.

OTHER

Exercise

The control group will receive only home exercises twice a week. Big muscle groups strengthening and stretching exercises and walking planned for the patient will be given as home exercise. The walking exercise will last 30 minutes at a moderately fast pace, depending on the subject's adaptation. The strengthening exercises will last 15 minutes and will consist of 3 sets of 12 repetitions of exercises with body weight and light weights, generally targeting the back extensor muscles, core stabilization muscles, shoulder region muscles in the upper extremity and hip and knee joint muscles in the lower extremity. The stretching exercises will last 15 minutes and will include neck muscles, pectoralis major/minor, erector spina, hamstrings, quadriceps femoris muscles 1-2 times for 30 seconds each. Participants will be taught face to face with a brochure when they come for the first assessment and will be asked to do HE at home.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey

  collaborator OTHER

• Karl and Veronica Carstens Foundation

  collaborator OTHER

• University Hospital Tuebingen

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Holger Cramer, Prof. Dr. · Institute of General Practice and Interprofessional Care, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-02-10

Primary Completion

2026-05-30

Completion

2026-05-30

Countries

• Germany

Study Locations