Therapeutic Effects of Ba-Duan-Jin versus Pregabalin for Fibromyalgia Treatment: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

INTRODUCTION: Fibromyalgia is characterized by multi-focal pain and is associated with fatigue, unrefreshing sleep and psychological impairment. Pregabalin is one of the most frequently used agents in fibromyalgia treatment. However, it has failed to demonstrate benefit over placebo for reducing fatigue and psychological impairment, and may cause adverse effects (e.g. somnolence, dizziness). “Ba-Duan-Jin” (BDJ) is a common form of “Qigong” exercise for health promotion in China. Growing evidence suggests that BDJ may achieve satisfactory control of fibromyalgia-related symptoms in Chinese patients. Therefore, we wish to ascertain if BDJ could overcome the disadvantages of pregabalin. METHODS: A single-blind randomized controlled trial has been designed which will recruit 104 patients with fibromyalgia (age 18–70 years) with a visual analog scale (VAS) pain score of ≥ 40 mm These patients will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: (1) BDJ group (to undertake guided BDJ exercise and take a placebo capsule) or (2) pregabalin group (to take a pregabalin capsule and receive wellness education and guided muscle-relaxation exercises). The primary endpoint will be changes in the VAS score for pain. The secondary endpoints will be changes in the score for the Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire, Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory-20, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Beck II Depression Inventory, Perceived Stress Scale and Short Form-36 Health Survey Questionnaire. These parameters will be assessed at 0, 4, 8, 12 and 24 weeks of follow-up. PLANNED OUTCOMES: Our results are expected to provide more clinical evidence for the beneficial effects of BDJ in treating fibromyalgia. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT03797560.