NONPHYSICIAN PRACTITIONER TREATMENTS AND FIBROMYALGIA SYNDROME

Objective. Patients with fibromyalgia syndrome (FM) are high consumers of alternative medical interventions and frequently consult nonphysic ian practitioners. Although individuals may express satisfaction with alternative treatment methods, their effect upon symptoms and outcome of FM is not known. We compare symptom reporting and functional status in patients with FM being treated or not being treated by nonphysicia n practitioners. Methods. 82 patients with FM enrolled in a cross sect ional study were divided into current users (n = 33) and nonusers (n = 49) of nonphysician practitioner treatments over the preceding 6 mont hs. Included were treatments by physiotherapists and psychologists,as well as all categories of alternative practitioners. The measurements studied were a patient global assessment of disease severity on a 100 mm visual analog scale (VAS), a physician global assessment on a 100 m m VAS, the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), and the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ). Results. There were no differences for th e FlQ, HAQ, or patient or physician global severity scores for users a nd nonusers of nonphysician practitioner treatments. The total number of health care professional visits in the preceding 6 months was highe r for users than nonusers (27.0 vs 9.3; p < 0.001), although physician visits did not differ (9.0 vs 9.3). Conclusion. Patients with FM who had been treated by nonphysician practitioners during the preceding 6 months reported similar pain and functional impairment to those not re ceiving treatments.