EFFECTIVENESS OF KINESIOTHERAPY ASSOCIATED WITH PHYTOTHERAPEUTIC MEDICATION IN THE PAIN SYMPTOMS OF PATIENTS WITH FIBROMYALGIA: A RANDOMIZED, DOUBLE-BLIND CLINICAL TRIAL.

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic syndrome characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain, often accompanied by fatigue, sleep disturbances, and emotional symptoms, compromising quality of life.Its prevalence varies between 2% and 5%, predominantly affecting women.Given the limitations of conventional treatments, this study evaluated the effects of a physiotherapeutic intervention associated with the topical application of OEAz-a substance recognized for its anti-inflammatory and muscle relaxant properties, although little studied in FM.This is a randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical study with women diagnosed with FM, divided into EG and CG, comparable in anthropometric data and baseline pain levels.The intervention consisted of kinesiotherapy sessions combined with topical application of OEAz in the EG; the CG received kinesiotherapy with placebo.To assess pain and the impact of FM, specific in l instruments were used: McGill Pain Questionnaire, Numerical Pain Scale (NPS), Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), and Chalder Fatigue Scale.The mean and standard deviation of pain levels were analyzed before and after the sessions to demonstrate the effectiveness of the intervention.The results showed a significant reduction in pain in the EG, with a decrease in NPS from 7.40 2.70 to 3.33 1.88.In the CG, the reduction was smaller, from 8.80 0.84 to 6.78 0.95.The difference between groups was statistically significant (p = 0.028) and with a very large effect size (d = -2.32)favorable to the EG.In the QIF, there was an improvement in quality of life and a reduction in the impact on the GE, which went from severe to moderate after the intervention.Although the intergroup differences were not statistically significant, the clinical effect sizes indicated the relevance of the findings (d = -0.89).Fatigue-a prominent symptom in FM-also decreased in the EG, with a drop of more than