Are Progressive Muscle Relaxation Exercises Effective on Pain, Kinesiophobia, and Functional Status in Fibromyalgia Patients? A Randomized Controlled Trial

Pain and pain-related functional limitations are common in fibromyalgia patients. In this regard, attempts to cope with pain and related symptoms are important. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of progressive muscle relaxation exercises on pain, kinesiophobia and functional status in fibromyalgia patients. This randomized controlled study has been conducted with 85 individuals diagnosed with fibromyalgia between November 2022 and June 2023. The study consisted of experimental and control groups. Progressive relaxation exercise was applied to the experimental group 2 days a week for 8 weeks. Data have been collected with Descriptive Information Form, Visual Analogue Scale, Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia, and Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire. In this study, it has been determined that Visual Analogue Scale, Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia and Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire total mean scores of the progressive muscle relaxation exercise group have decreased significantly compared to the control group (p < 0.01). This study has shown that progressive muscle relaxation exercises improve pain, kinesiophobia and functional status in fibromyalgia patients. It is recommended to be applied by individuals with chronic pain and in clinics. Trial Registration: This study is registered in the Clinical Trial Registry (registration number NCT05695274).