Effects of breathing training on respiratory muscle efficiency, pain, health-related quality of life and intake of drugs in sedentary women with fibromyalgia

INTERVENTION: The breathing therapy consisted of 30 minutes/session for 7‐times/week (1‐time supervised by an expert in breathing training techniques, and 6‐times unsupervised at home with regard to audiovisual training) and for 12 weeks. Each session included five breathing exercises (3 minutes for each) were used in the form of circuit: an exercise on awareness of breathing, an exercise on costal expansion, and three exercises on diaphragmatic breathing. This circuit was performed twice, with a total time of 30 minutes per session CONDITION: Syndrome of fibromyalgia ; Musculoskeletal Diseases ; Fibromyalgia PRIMARY OUTCOME: The primary endpoint with respect to effects of breathing training techniques on respiratory muscle efficiency. Therefore, the functional respiratory examination was measured with global body plestimograph. The standard parameters of ventilatory pattern were recorded: minute ventilation (VE), respiratory frequency (f), tidal volume (VT) and the ratio of inspiratory and the total times (Ti/Ttot). In the study of muscle efficiency, two parameters were monitored: the maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) and maximum occlusion pressure (P0.1). The maximal expiratory pressure (MEP) was measured as a component of the study of evaluation of respiratory muscles. Measurements were taken at baseline and post‐intervention at 12 weeks. SECONDARY OUTCOME: 1. Pain was evaluated by the rheumatologist as follows:; 1.1. Pain in tender points with digital dolorimeter; 1.2. Widespread pain index (WPI) and total symptom severity (SS) by applying the 2010 ACR preliminary classification criteria diagnoses of fibromyalgia; 1.3. Overall pain by using a visual analog scale (VAS); 2. Health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) was evaluated using the Portuguese language version of the Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF‐36); 3. The Portuguese version of the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) was used to evaluate the impact of FM on patients? physical and mental health; 4. Type and number of drugs taken in relation to fibromyalgia were recorded INCLUSION CRITERIA: 1. Diagnosis of fibromyalgia by a rheumatologist 2. Non‐smokers and not consumers of alcohol 3. Age between 25 and 70 years