Psychologically Informed Telerehabilitation for Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a long-term condition that can cause widespread pain, fatigue, sleep problems, difficulties with concentration, and limitations in daily activities. Physical, psychological, and social factors can all influence how people experience and manage these symptoms.

This study will examine whether an online Psychologically-Informed Physical Therapy (PIPT) program is feasible, acceptable, and safe for adults with fibromyalgia. PIPT is a physiotherapy approach that combines physical rehabilitation with attention to factors such as fear of movement, unhelpful beliefs about pain, coping strategies, and confidence in returning to meaningful activities. It is not intended to treat mental health disorders. Instead, the physiotherapist supports participants in understanding their pain, identifying personal goals, gradually increasing activity, and developing strategies to better manage their condition.

This is a pilot randomized controlled trial involving approximately 32 adults aged 18 to 65 years with fibromyalgia. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups.

Participants in the PIPT group will receive an individualized program delivered remotely by videoconference. The program will include 12 sessions, with up to 3 additional optional sessions, over a period of 12 months. Most sessions will take place during the first 3 months. Sessions will include education about chronic pain, collaborative goal setting, discussion of barriers to activity, support for gradual physical reactivation, and development of self-management strategies.

Participants in the comparison group will receive an educational booklet about pain neuroscience and a program of exercises to perform three times per week during the first 3 months. They will also receive scheduled telephone calls to monitor adherence and their clinical progress.

The main purpose of this pilot study is not to determine definitively whether PIPT is better than the comparison program. Instead, the researchers will assess whether a larger clinical trial can be successfully conducted. They will examine recruitment, retention, attendance, completeness of study data, delivery of the intervention as planned, participant acceptability, technical problems during online sessions, and any adverse events.

The study will also collect preliminary information about possible changes in fibromyalgia impact, physical function, quality of life, anxiety and depression, fear of movement, fear-avoidance beliefs, and physical performance. Brain activity will also be explored using electroencephalography (EEG).

Participants receiving PIPT will additionally be invited to take part in interviews about their experiences with the program. These interviews will help researchers understand what participants found helpful or difficult, what may encourage or prevent engagement, and how the program could be improved.

The results will be used to refine the intervention and study procedures and to determine whether a larger, fully powered randomized controlled trial of online PIPT for fibromyalgia should be undertaken.