The outcomes of an observational study published in the ‘Nutrients’ journal established prolonged therapeutic fasting intervention along with a complex multimodal inpatient treatment to be beneficial in people suffering from fibromyalgia concerning quality of life, pain and disease-specific functional factors. 

Fibromyalgia poses a significant challenge with chronic pain as the main symptom and often accompanying rheumatological diseases. Its management typically necessitates a multifaceted approach, incorporating diverse non-pharmacological therapies, such as fasting.

This observational study by Daniela A. Koppold et al. explored the impact of extended fasting (lasting 3 to 12 days, with daily caloric intake below 600 kcal) within a comprehensive treatment framework for hospitalized fibromyalgia patients.

Overall, 176 patients from Immanuel Hospital Berlin, Germany were asked to respond to questionnaires at the admission to the hospital (V0) and discharge (V1), and then again after 3 (V2), 6 (V3), and 12 (V4) months. During their stay, blood and anthropometric parameters were routinely measured.

At V1, the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) total score decreased by an average of 13.7 ± 13.9 (p < 0.001), indicating an amelioration in perceived disease impact. Pain levels assessed by the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), exhibited a reduction of 1.1 ± 2.5 at V1 (p < 0.001), while quality of life, assessed by the WHO-5, demonstrated an increase of +4.9 ± 12.3 at V1 (p < 0.001), with sustained improvements observed throughout subsequent follow-up assessments. 

Conversely, mindfulness, as gauged by the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), displayed a modest increase, while anxiety (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety subscale, HADS-A) decreased by 2.9 ± 3.5 at V1 (p < 0.0001), and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Depression subscale, HADS-D) reduced by 2.7 ± 3.0 at V1 (p < 0.0001) during the inpatient treatment phase, apart from without sustained effects in subsequent evaluations. No serious adverse events were recorded, as described by the study investigators.  Top of Form