The aim of this study was to investigate the results of a supervised exercise with
transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (
TENS) in an exercise controlled study in women with
fibromyalgia. Sixty-six women with
fibromyalgia who admitted to the outpatient clinic of our hospital were randomized into two treatment groups. The patients in both groups participated in a supervised combined exercise program for 12 weeks. The women in first group had additional
TENS in the first 3 weeks of the study. All subjects were analyzed at the baseline, at the end of the 3rd and 12th weeks. Outcome measures were tender point count (TPC), myalgic
pain score (MPS),
Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) and Short Form-36 (SF-36) Health Survey. Sixty women with
fibromyalgia completed the study. The patients in both groups showed improvement in terms of TPC, MPS, FIQ, physical and mental summary scores and total scores of SF-36 at the end of the 3rd and 12th weeks. The improvement in MPS at the third week was higher in the first group (p = 0.01). But there was no difference in terms of the improvement in MPS between the groups at the end of the 12th week control (p = 0.87). There was no significant difference between the improvement in the other outcome parameters of the two groups. As a result, supervised exercise program was successful to improve the myalgic
pain, functional status and quality of life in women with
fibromyalgia. Exercises combined with
TENS might be useful due to quick myalgic
pain relief in the treatment of
fibromyalgia in everyday practice.