Fibromyalgia affects up to an estimated 11 percent of the population, primarily women. The syndrome is characterized as both a musculoskeletal and a subtle neurological disorder, and is associated with widespread muscle pain and tender points, along with fatigue, muscle weakness, and stiffness. Conventional medical approaches have limited success in treating fibromyalgia, leading patients to seek complementary modalities, including the use of cognitive behavioral approaches such as relaxation and imagery, in the hope of finding more effective symptom management. The purpose of the proposed study will be to investigate the effects of guided imagery on selected outcomes in persons with fibromyalgia. The primary aim will be to investigate the effects of an eight-week intervention of guided imagery on self-efficacy and functional status. Two secondary aims will include: (1) to examine the relationship between absorption, a personality trait, and guided imagery effectiveness to identify patients who may benefit most from this modality; and (2) to explore the dose-response effect of imagery use (number of practices) on outcomes. The proposed project is a quasi-experimental study that will use a repeated measures single group design to examine the effectiveness of guided imagery, as an adjunctive modality, to enhance self-efficacy and function a status in persons diagnosed with fibromyalgia. If it can be demonstrated that self-efficacy can be increased and functional status can be improved in this population using a guided imagery intervention, then a future randomized controlled study will explore the effectiveness of guided imagery, as an adjunctive modality, on these outcomes.
| Menzies, Victoria; Taylor, Ann Gill; Bourguignon, Cheryl (2008) Absorption: an individual difference to consider in mind-body interventions. J Holist Nurs 26:297-302 |
| Menzies, Victoria; Taylor, Ann Gill; Bourguignon, Cheryl (2006) Effects of guided imagery on outcomes of pain, functional status, and self-efficacy in persons diagnosed with fibromyalgia. J Altern Complement Med 12:23-30 |
| Menzies, Victoria; Gill Taylor, Ann (2004) The idea of imagination: an analysis of ""imagery"". Adv Mind Body Med 20:4-10 |
