Global research trends on fibromyalgia and exercise: a ten-year Web of Science-based bibliometric analysis

Fibromyalgia causes widespread pain, exhaustion, and cognitive deficits, lowering sufferers' quality of life. Exercise supports the management of fibromyalgia by reducing pain and improving mood. This study examines global fibromyalgia and exercise research trends using bibliometric analysis to identify major contributors, citation patterns, and prospective research areas. Data were obtained from the Web of Science (WoS) database utilizing the keywords "fibromyalgia exercise" for publications from 2014 to 2023. The inclusion criteria prioritized original articles and reviews published in the English language. Bibliometric characteristics were examined, including publication year, country, journal, and citation metrics. Statistics adjusted for population and gross domestic product (GDP) were computed to evaluate research productivity in relation to economic and demographic variables. A total of 497 publications satisfied the inclusion criteria. A significant increase trend in publication counts was noted (p = 0.003), with Spain (25.75%), the United States (15.09%), Brazil (13.88%), Türkiye (7.24%), and Sweden (5.23%) identified as the major contributors. Publications were produced by 37 countries, 19 of which were the main active countries. Spain displayed remarkable productivity, ranking first in population- and GDP-adjusted contributions. Based on publication type, 388 (78.06%) were original articles, and the rest were reviews. The median number of original article and review citations were 11 (min = 0; max = 289) and 14 (min = 0; max = 1092). Review citations outnumbered original articles (p = 0.013). The median number of citations for SCIE and/or SSCI and ESCI articles were 12 (min = 0; max = 1092) and 3 (min = 0; max = 92). SCIE and/or SSCI articles were significantly more cited than ESCI ones (p < 0.001). INT J ENV RES PUB HE (n = 18), RHEUMATOL INT (n = 17), ARCH PHYS MED REHAB (n = 15), J CLIN MED (n = 14) and DISABIL REHABIL (n = 13) were the top five journals in terms of article count. This bibliometric analysis evaluates and summarizes global scholarly output on fibromyalgia and exercise, underscoring the increasing research interest in the two. High-income countries, notably Spain, the United States, and Sweden, significantly contributed to the area, underscoring differences in research capacities.