Cognitive behavioural therapy is a useful addition to the fibromyalgia treatment toolkit

Cognitive behavioural therapy does reduce use of opioid medication in people with fibromyalgia and insomnia, but perhaps not on a long-term basis, says research in The Journal of Sleep Research.

Opioid medications used to treat insomnia and chronic pain are associated with negative side effects such as falls so a different treatment approach is desirable. Previous research has shown that cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia and pain does improve sleep and reduce pain, but it is less clear what effect it has on sleep and opioid medication use.

A research group divided 113 volunteers with fibromyalgia into groups: 39 people had cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia; 37 people had cognitive behavioural therapy for pain; and 37 people received neither. The volunteers kept diaries for six months, recording their sleep and opioid medication usage.

Cognitive behavioural therapy for pain led to immediate reductions in sleep medication usage. After eight weeks of cognitive behavioural therapy, medication use was still reduced. But six months later, usage returned to previous levels.

“Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia and pain may be ineffective as stand-alone treatments for altering opioid use in fibromyalgia and insomnia,” the researchers say.

For more information about fibromyalgia click here.

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