Patients suffering from chronic pain related to fibromyalgia confer resistance against the conventional pharmacological therapies followed by high stress and sleep problems. Earlier research studies have recognized the benefits of regular exercise in patients with the variety of chronic pain conditions. But, patients suffering from fibromyalgia are usually resistant to intense exercises resulting in further worsening of pain. A relatively gentle and individually adaptable form of exercise, like yoga, provides better results than any other form of physical activity. Moreover, it is difficult to perform the randomized controlled trials in this population due to substantial differences in patient characteristics.   

Therefore, to analyze the effect of yoga among fibromyalgia patients, a longitudinal study was conducted by A. Lazaridou and his colleagues. Women with fibromyalgia (Wolfe 2011 criteria) and a reasonable degree of sleep disturbance (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index>5) were selected. Weekly yoga sessions were organized for patients. Patients practiced 30 minutes of daily yoga. The yoga videos were sent electronically to the patients. Diaries were recorded twice-daily during a baseline week, week 2 and week 6 of yoga, including measures of pain, stress, and sleep quality.

Paired sample t-test showed a notable reduction in average and worst pain ratings during the 2nd and 6th week of daily gentle yoga, compared to baseline. Further, a reduction in fatigue was also noticed at six weeks after starting the program (p<0.5). No side effects or adverse events were reported. However, some difference of treatment response was noted.  The participants who work out more frequently showed more meaningful improvements in pain scores at two weeks. Stress, pain rating, and fatigue were inter-correlated between the participants. Future studies need to be done to investigate the interdependence of symptoms on the impact of yoga-based exercise among patients with fibromyalgia.