Transcranial direct current stimulation and physiotherapy in the treatment of fibromyalgia: case series

Because of the multifaceted character of fibromyalgia, new treatments have been proposed to control the symptoms. Among them, transcranial direct current stimulation(tDCS) stands out. The objective of this work was to analyze the effectiveness of transcranial direct current stimulation associated wi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Acta scientiarum. Health sciences Vol. 40; p. e35240
Main Authors:	Suellen Marinho Andrade, Aline Soares Marcolino, Ponce, Camila Teresa, Maria Lucrécia de Aquino Gouveia, Martins, Wanessa Kallyne, Eliane Araújo de Oliveira
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English Portuguese
Published:	Maringa Editora da Universidade Estadual de Maringá - EDUEM 01-11-2018 Universidade Estadual de Maringá
Subjects:	chronic pain electrical stimulation Fibromyalgia Pain Physical therapy Quality of life Questionnaires
Online Access:	Get full text
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Summary:	Because of the multifaceted character of fibromyalgia, new treatments have been proposed to control the symptoms. Among them, transcranial direct current stimulation(tDCS) stands out. The objective of this work was to analyze the effectiveness of transcranial direct current stimulation associated with physical therapy regarding the pain and quality of life of patients with fibromyalgia. A prospective case series study was carried out with a sample of 4 female patients. Information regarding age, marital status, education, and occupation were collected, and the Visual Analog Scale for pain, McGill Pain Questionnaire and Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire were applied. Anodal stimulation was performed on the left primary motor cortex with an intensity of 2.0mA for 20 minutes daily for 2 consecutive weeks. After the neurostimulation session, the patients were subjected to physical therapy treatment for 30 minutes. The results demonstrated that the patients had a reduction in the scores of all the employed instruments after treatment. There was a positive correlation between quality of life and pain. These findings demonstrate that tDCS in conjunction with physical therapy is an option for reducing the algesic status and improving the quality of life of patients with fibromyalgia.
ISSN:	1679-9291 1807-8648
DOI:	10.4025/actascihealthsci.v40i0.35240