The Effect of Physiotherapy Integrated With Yoga and Mindfulness on Disability in Individuals With Fibromyalgia

This integrative intervention method includes some specific physiotherapy techniques, ( e. g. self proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation, self nerve gliding, self mobility, post isometric relaxation techniques) yoga postures, left nostril breathing, humming bee breathing, mindfulness practices and home exercises. Each session will be 75 minutes and focus on different parts of the body and yoga postures will be selected according to these focused areas. For each week, a specific body area will be chosen as the focus. For example, the first week will focus on the hip area and lower extremities, the second week on the upper body and upper extremities, the third week on the core and anterior line of the body, and the fourth week on the back and posterior line of the body and this sequence will continue through the eighth week. In addition to these sessions, participants in this group will also apply home exercises (aerobic+strenghtening+streching) twice a week, 60 minutes per practice.

The control group will receive only home exercises twice a week. Big muscle groups strengthening and stretching exercises and walking planned for the patient will be given as home exercise. The walking exercise will last 30 minutes at a moderately fast pace, depending on the subject's adaptation. The strengthening exercises will last 15 minutes and will consist of 3 sets of 12 repetitions of exercises with body weight and light weights, generally targeting the back extensor muscles, core stabilization muscles, shoulder region muscles in the upper extremity and hip and knee joint muscles in the lower extremity. The stretching exercises will last 15 minutes and will include neck muscles, pectoralis major/minor, erector spina, hamstrings, quadriceps femoris muscles 1-2 times for 30 seconds each. Participants will be taught face to face with a brochure when they come for the first assessment and will be asked to do HE at home.