Swimming shows similar improvements to walking in people with fibromyalgia, says study

Researchers from the Federal University of Sau Paulo have found that swimming is at least as effective as walking for people with fibromyalgia, in terms of pain relief and improving the quality of their lives.

For the study, Dr Jamil Natour, professor of rheumatology at the university and colleagues, identified 75 sedentary women, between ages 18 – 60 years old, with fibromyalgia. Thirty-nine participants in the study practiced freestyle swimming and 36 women performed moderate open-air walking.

“Physical exercise is an essential component of treatment for fibromyalgia and plenty of studies have demonstrated that low-impact aerobic exercise offers the most benefits,” says Dr Natour. “However, not everyone likes or is able to do the same kind of physical activity, so our group decided to test alternatives.”

Training for both groups took place three times a week for a total of 12 weeks and the women were assessed prior to and after the 12-week training period. A pain assessment scale was used to assess pain intensity and two questionnaires were used to evaluate patients’ quality of life.

Results showed pain intensity decreased, on average, from 6.2 to 3.6 in the walking group and from 6.4 to 3.1 in the swimming group. Investigators noted significant improvements for both groups in the quality of life questionnaires and other evaluation scales.

“The results of this clinical trial showed swimming was as beneficial as walking, whose positive effects have clearly been demonstrated. Swimming can be a preferable option for a person who suffers from both fibromyalgia and knee arthrosis, for example,” says Dr Natour.

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