A pilot, controlled, randomized trial of life logy as a new complementary and alternative medicine technique in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome

Abstract

<p class="abstract"><strong>Background:</strong> Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a complex disorder, with primary symptoms of pain and fatigue. No cure for FM yet exists and treatments have been largely disappointing. In most cases complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is used adjunctively to allopathic medicine. The present study aimed to evaluate the analgesic efficacy of sessions of life logy technique as well as patients’ physical and mental improvement on patients with fibromyalgia.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Methods:</strong> Fibromyalgia patients were recruited from a private CAM center in Beirut, Lebanon from May to June 2017. Eighty patients were included and randomly assigned (1:1) to a treatment and a control groups. Each patient received 5 life logy sessions through 5 weeks and assessed by visual analogue scale, fibromyalgia impact questionnaire and SF-36 at sixth week, third and sixth months follow-up. </p><p class="abstract"><strong>Results:</strong> The mean visual analog score, functional impairment and quality of life and SF-32 (physical and mental) scores in treatment groups were significantly decreased for time intervals (p=0.003, 0.0034 and 0.003), (p=0.002, 0.001and 0.001), (p=0.003, 0.005 and 0.002) and (p=0.002, 0.001 and 0.004); respectively.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Conclusions:</strong> This pilot study suggests that life logy technique is a promising, durable, non-invasive, outpatient and inexpensive technique with a considerable effect on reducing pain and improving life quality in fibromyalgia patients. Further studies on a larger number of patients are needed.</p>