GROUP EDUCATIVE INTERVENTION WITH PAIN NEUROBIOLOGY ON FIBROMYALGIC PATIENTS. IMPACT ON THEIR SYMPTOMS.

Introduction and Objective: Understanding the underlying mechanisms of the pain experience helps to relieve pain. Fibromyalgia is an important cause of long-standing generalised pain. We propose a group educative intervention in which we explain symptomatology following Goicoechea’s model “Pain Neurobiology Pedagogy” and Butler and Moseley’s “Explaining pain” to help patients to lead the necessary changes to improve the impact Fibromyalgia causes in their lives. Method: Before-after study with a pre and post 12 months intervention assessment. Opportunistic recruitment of patients diagnosed with Fibromyalgia (FP) (ACR criteria, 2010), who were offered an intervention consisting of 5 two-hour sessions plus a monthly revision session 3 groups with 31 participants were formed to be assessed at the beginning and after 12 months. To assess patient’s quality of life we administered the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire [FIQ], Spanish version. Intervention and assessment was carried out by two family physicians in a Primary Health Care Center Results and Conclusions: The FIQ score mean is -23.61±25.13 in 12 months. The score percentage regarding the initial one is -44.41±45.04. 24 from 31 (77,41%) FP improved their score in 12 months. 48,39 % FP improvement is >50% and in one out of three FP improvement is >80% (35,48%). The results obtained in the before-after study lead us to implement a randomised clinical trial and to carry on offering FP the proposed pedagogic intervention.