ABSTRACT
Objective. Functional symptoms and pain can change in intensity over time in patients with fibromyalgia. This study was done to determine whether there was any sufficient effect from 3 weeks of standardized physical therapy on functional symptoms in fibromyalgia in particular.
Patients and Methods. An electronic diary (ED) was used by 23 patients with fibromyalgia (ACR criteria) twice a day for about 18 days of a 4-week hospital stay. The ED is computer-usable by patients themselves and is one of the latest methods for complaint monitoring.
Results. The intensity of general pain decreased during the time course of the study. There was also a reduction of sleep abnormalities. In contrast to psychogenic pain conditions, the registrations showed that pain and functional symptoms did not vary much in their intensity.
Conclusions. The examinations showed that the ED is a possibility for analyzing scientific tasks, but it is not a method for routine work.