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CompletedNCT00000398Updated Nov 27, 2013

Behavioral Treatment of Fibromyalgia

A Phase 2 interventional study of Coping skills training and Physical exercise training in Fibromyalgia, sponsored by Ohio University. Completed at 2 sites in United States. Open to participants aged 21 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2013-11-27.

Sponsored by Ohio University · Phase 2, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
180
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
21 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Fibromyalgia (FM) is one of the most common rheumatic diseases (conditions or disorders that cause pain or stiffness in the joints, muscles, or bones). It affects 6 million Americans and up to 20 percent of patients seen by doctors who specialize in treating rheumatic diseases. This study will evaluate the effects of two of the most promising nondrug treatments for FM: coping skills training and physical exercise training. We will randomly assign each of 180 patients diagnosed with FM to one of four groups: coping skills training (CST), physical exercise training alone, CST plus physical exercise training, or a waiting list (nontreatment group). We will look at the separate and combined effects of CST and physical exercise training and evaluate how changes in aerobic fitness, self-effectiveness (a person's belief in his or her ability to reach a goal, such as managing one's own disease), and negative pain-related thoughts relate to improvements in pain and disability.

Read the detailed description

Fibromyalgia (FM) is characterized by diffuse musculoskeletal pain, discrete tender points at typical soft-tissue sites, fatigue, stiffness, and sleep problems. Of these symptoms, pain is often the primary concern of FM patients and their physicians. Traditional medical approaches to managing FM have limitations (side effects) and have not been effective in managing pain. Given these limitations, treatments that involve nonpharmacologic interventions may represent a valuable addition to patient care. This study will evaluate the effects of two of the most promising nonpharmacologic interventions for FM: coping skills training (CST) for pain management and physical exercise training.

The study is designed to test the hypothesis that an intervention that combines CST and physical exercise training will be more effective than CST or exercise alone. In this study, we will randomly assign each of 180 patients diagnosed with FM to one of four conditions: CST alone, physical exercise training alone, CST plus physical exercise training, or a waiting list control. We will evaluate study participants on four occasions: pre-treatment, post-treatment, 3-month followup, and 6-month followup.

The study will look at the separate and combined effects of CST and physical exercise training and evaluate how changes in aerobic fitness, self-effectiveness, and negative pain-related thoughts relate to improvements in pain and disability. Physicians could use this information in matching FM patients to treatment interventions. In addition, our findings may have implications for treatment selection for a broad range of patients suffering from persistent pain.

02

Conditions studied

  • Fibromyalgia

Keywords

  • Fibromyalgia
  • Pain
  • Coping skills training
  • Physical exercise training
  • Combined coping skills training and exercise training
03

In context

Fibromyalgia

1,369 studies on the registry are indexed under Fibromyalgia; 272 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 180 is above the median of 60 across 1,056 interventional studies indexed under Fibromyalgia.

Browse Fibromyalgia studies →

Lead sponsor

Ohio University is the lead sponsor of 65 studies on the registry; 5 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
21 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Complaints of pain persisting for 6 months
  • Meet diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia (American College of Rheumatology criteria)

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • A significant adverse medical condition that would expose the individual to increased risk of an adverse experience during the course of the trial (e.g. a recent (\<6 months) myocardial infarction)
  • An abnormal cardiac response to exercise
  • Other significant rheumatic disease
  • Receiving or applying for disability or compensation benefits because of fibromyalgia
05

Study design

Phase
Phase 2
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
180 participants

Interventions

  • BehavioralCoping skills training
  • BehavioralPhysical exercise training
  • BehavioralCoping skills training plus physical exercise training
06

Study locations

2 sites
  • Ohio University
    Athens, Ohio 45701, United States
  • Ohio State University
    Columbus, Ohio 43221, United States
07

References and documents

Publications

  • Lester, N., and F.J. Keefe. "Coping With Chronic Pain." In Cambridge Handbook of Psychology, Health and Medicine, edited by A. Baum, C. McManus, S. Newman, J. Weinman, and R. West. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1997.
  • Sandstrom MJ, Keefe FJ. Self-management of fibromyalgia: the role of formal coping skills training and physical exercise training programs. Arthritis Care Res. 1998 Dec;11(6):432-47. doi: 10.1002/art.1790110603. PubMed 10030175 ↗
  • Keefe, F.J., France, C. Pain: Biopsychosocial mechanisms and management. Current Directions in Psychological Science 1999; 8:137-141.
  • Keefe FJ, Bonk V. Psychosocial assessment of pain in patients having rheumatic diseases. Rheum Dis Clin North Am. 1999 Feb;25(1):81-103. doi: 10.1016/s0889-857x(05)70056-9. PubMed 10083960 ↗
  • Keefe FJ, Jacobs M, Underwood-Gordon L. Biobehavioral pain research: a multi-institute assessment of cross-cutting issues and research needs. Clin J Pain. 1997 Jun;13(2):91-103. doi: 10.1097/00002508-199706000-00003. PubMed 9186016 ↗
  • Keefe, F.J. "Cognitive Processes and the Pain Experience." In Journal of Musculoskeletal Pain, edited by S.R. Pillemer. 1998; 6:41-45.
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Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
Not marked actual or estimatedDates not marked actual or estimated

The record gives a start of Jul 1996 and a completion of Jun 2000. It does not say whether these dates are actual or estimated.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Nov 3, 1999
First posted
Nov 4, 1999
Start
Jul 1996
Completion
Jun 2000
Last update
Nov 27, 2013
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Nov 27, 2013, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT00000398
Lead sponsor
Ohio University
First posted
Nov 4, 1999
Start date
Jul 1996
Completion
Jun 2000
Last update
Nov 27, 2013

Study contacts

Christopher France, PhD
principal investigator · Ohio University
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Jun 2000. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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