To evaluate the effectiveness of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) combined with exercising in people with fibromyalgia.
Randomised, triple-blind, sham-controlled, clinical trial.
Primary healthcare center.
120 volunteer subjects between 18 and 65 years old and diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Four subjects dropped out of the study for causes unrelated to the intervention.
Subjects were randomised into three groups (active tDCS+exercising, sham tDCS+exercising, and no-intervention control). The intervention was delivered in five sessions over two weeks.
Pain intensity and referred pain area following suprathreshold pressure stimulation.
Pain intensity further decreased in the active tDCS group versus control (mean -14.43, CI95% -25.27 to -3.58) at post-intervention, unlike the sham tDCS group. Both tDCS groups did not achieve greater reductions in referred pain versus control. In the active tDCS group, health status (mean -14.80, CI95% -23.10 to -6.50) and pain catastrophising (mean -6.68, CI95% -11.62 to -1.73) improved at post-intervention, and so did health status (mean -8.81, CI95% -17.11 to -0.51), pain catastrophising (mean -7.00, CI95% -12.13 to -1.87), and depression (mean -3.52, CI95% -6.86 to -0.19) after one month. In the sham tDCS group, improvements were recorded in health status (mean -13.21, CI95% -21.52 to -4.91) and depression (mean -3.35, CI95% -6.35 to -0.35) at post-intervention and in health status (mean -8.77, CI95% -17.06 to -0.47), pain catastrophising (mean -5.68, CI95% -10.80 to -0.55), and depression (mean -3.98, CI95% -7.31 to -0.64) after one month. No intergroup differences were observed between active and sham tDCS.
Active and sham tDCS improved health status, pain catastrophising, and depression versus control, but pain intensity decreased only in the active tDCS group.

Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Author