What will happen in the study?
This study includes 8 weeks of treatment in which teens will attend training sessions twice a week, and complete assessments before treatment, after treatment and at follow-up visits. There are a total of 26 study visits (20 training sessions and 6 assessment visits) over 14 months. Parents are asked to attend some of the treatment sessions. Here are some of the things that will happen in this study:
Teens will:
- Complete questionnaires about pain and the impact of pain on their lives
- Complete measures of strength and fitness
- Keep track of their pain, sleep and physical activity for one week on a smartphone app or paper diary at home for each assessment
- Wear a small activity tracker for one week during each assessment
- Be randomized if eligible (that is, assigned by chance - like flipping a coin), to be in 1 of the following 3 treatment groups:
- Fibromyalgia integrative training (FIT) which combines coping skills training with specialized neuromuscular exercises
- Coping skills training – also called cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), or
- Low-impact aerobic exercises (GAE) which is a type of fitness training
- Attend 16 small-group sessions of 4 to 6 teens who also have JFM/chronic widespread pain (90 minutes each) held twice a week for 8 weeks
- Attend 4 “booster” training sessions
- Return for follow-up assessments at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after treatment ends
Parents interested in having their child participate will be given a consent form that thoroughly explains all of the details of the study. A member of the study staff will review the consent form and will make sure that the parents’ and teen’s questions are answered.