Benefits of hydrotherapy in fibromyalgia patients

Patients with fibromyalgia present pain throughout the body, especially muscle, fatigue, non-restorative sleep, anxiety and depression. Hydrotherapy is indicated, as immersion in heated water reduces the load on the joints, promoting muscle relaxation, improving quality of life. To evaluate the effects of hydrotherapy in patients with Fibromyalgia. A non-systematic review was performed using the PubMed and PEDro databases, with randomized clinical trials (RCT) carried out between 2006 and 2021, with the following keywords: hydrotherapy for fibromyalgia, hydrotherapy in the treatment of fibromyalgia. Six RCTs were included. In five, there was considerable improvement in pain, quality of life and quality of sleep. Of these same studies, two showed gains in strength and mobility due to aerobic exercise and stretching. A study evaluating patients with chronic generalized pain had only a small improvement in quality of life. In addition, patients with mild symptoms had greater treatment success. In relation to depression, two studies evaluated it, but one had no improvement, and the other had a little improvement only in mild depression Hydrotherapy has a positive impact on the treatment of fibromyalgia, as well as on the promotion of well-being, sleep regulation and minimization of symptoms and syndromes manifested as a result of the pathology.