Transcranial direct current stimulation and physiotherapy in the treatment of fibromyalgia: case series

Abstract

Because of the multifaceted character of fibromyalgia, new treatments have been proposed to control the symptoms. Among them, transcranial direct current stimulation(tDCS) stands out. The objective of this work was to analyze the effectiveness of transcranial direct current stimulation associated with physical therapy regarding the pain and quality of life of patients with fibromyalgia. A prospective case series study was carried out with a sample of 4 female patients. Information regarding age, marital status, education, and occupation were collected, and the Visual Analog Scale for pain, McGill Pain Questionnaire and Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire were applied. Anodal stimulation was performed on the left primary motor cortex with an intensity of 2.0mA for 20 minutes daily for 2 consecutive weeks. After the neurostimulation session, the patients were subjected to physical therapy treatment for 30 minutes. The results demonstrated that the patients had a reduction in the scores of all the employed instruments after treatment. There was a positive correlation between quality of life and pain. These findings demonstrate that tDCS in conjunction with physical therapy is an option for reducing the algesic status and improving the quality of life of patients with fibromyalgia.