What Researchers Did
Researchers conducted a randomised controlled trial with 33 women with fibromyalgia to assess the effects of an 8-week low-pressure hyperbaric oxygen therapy on pain-related psychological constructs and quality of life.
What They Found
The hyperbaric oxygen therapy group (n=17) showed significant improvements (p<0.05) in self-perceived pain intensity, pain catastrophism, pain acceptance, pain flexibility, mental defeat, and quality of life after 8 weeks. The control group (n=16) showed no improvements, and significant differences were observed between groups in quality of life (p<0.05).
Canadian Relevance
This study was not conducted in Canada and therefore has no direct Canadian connection.
Study Limitations
A limitation of this study is its relatively small sample size of 33 participants, which may limit the generalizability of the findings.