Randomized Trial of a Group Music and Imagery Method (GrpMI) for Women with Fibromyalgia

Abstract
Background: Fibromyalgia (FM) affects about 2-4% of the world population. Patients, mostly women,
experience chronic widespread pain, fatigue, stiffness, sleep disturbances, and psychological disorders,
especially depression and anxiety.
Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of Group Music and Imagery (GrpMI),
including relaxation, music listening and spontaneous imagery, for subjective psychological wellbeing,
functional capacity and health, pain perception, anxiety and depression in women with FM.
Methods: Fifty-six women aged 35 to 65 (M = 51.3) diagnosed with FM were randomly assigned to
either GrpMI treatment (n = 33) or control (n = 26) condition. The experimental groups received 12
weekly GrpMI sessions, whereas control groups were offered three voluntary GrpMI sessions after a 3
month follow-up assessment.
Results: Intra-group analyses within experimental groups found a significant increase in psychological
wellbeing and a reduction in the rest of the variables, whereas the control groups only showed decreases
in trait anxiety and trait depression. No significant differences were observed in the control groups at the
follow-up, while the experimental groups maintained the positive effects concerning the impact of FM on
functional capacity and health, present pain intensity, trait anxiety and trait depression. Inter-group
analyses found in the experimental groups significantly higher scores for psychological wellbeing and
lower scores for state anxiety, although the differences between groups at the 3-month follow-up were not
significant.
Conclusions: These results illustrate the efficacy of GrpMI intervention for women with FM as a
complementary non-pharmacologic therapy, and underline the necessity of further research.