What Researchers Did
Researchers prospectively evaluated the efficacy and safety of 20 hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) sessions for fibromyalgia patients, assessing symptoms like pain, fatigue, and anxiety.
What They Found
Of the 32 study patients, 28 completed all 20 HBOT sessions. Pain scores and anxiety symptoms significantly improved after both 10 and 20 sessions, while fatigue and fibromyalgia symptom severity significantly improved only after 20 sessions. Sleep quality did not significantly change, and adverse effects were limited.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Canadian patients with fibromyalgia might find hyperbaric oxygen therapy to be a beneficial treatment option for managing their pain and anxiety symptoms. This therapy could potentially improve overall symptom severity, offering an alternative or complementary approach to current treatments.
Canadian Relevance
This study was not conducted in Canada and does not have a direct Canadian connection.
Study Limitations
This was a prospective observational study with a relatively small sample size and no control group, limiting the generalizability of the findings.