EMDR and Fibromyalgia
EMDR with Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic condition characterized by widespread pain, allodynia (pain from harmless stimuli), fatigue, sleep disturbances, and emotional issues, persisting for at least three months. It affects 2% to 4% of the population and significantly impacts quality of life. Although its exact cause remains unclear, FM is often linked to factors like childhood trauma, stress, and pain-related stress. Traditional treatments are often ineffective, leading to a greater focus on non-pharmacological interventions. Historically, management strategies have included personalized physical exercise, cognitive-behavioral therapy, mindfulness, meditation, hydrotherapy, or a combination of these approaches.Research into the use of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy in treating FM began in 2004 with Friedberg's pilot study using the EMD technique (Friedberg, F., 2004). Later, Teneycke's 2012 dissertation reported positive results using the standard EMDR protocol (Teneycke, T.L., 2012). The following studies provide support for EMDR therapy, while highlighting the need for further rigorous, large-scale research to confirm and expand on these promising findings.
Current Studies:
Borst, M., Moeyaert, M., & van Rood, Y. (2024). The effect of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing on fibromyalgia: A multiple-baseline experimental case study across ten participants. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 34(10), 1422–1454. https://doi.org/10.1080/09602011.2024.2314883
Full Text Access: https://doi.org/10.1080/09602011.2024.2314883
Çiftçi, Z. Z., Delibaş, D. H., Kaya, T., Külcü, D. G., Sar, A., Nazlkul, H., Topsakal, İ. C., ... Konuk, E. (2024, May). A randomized controlled trial of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy in the treatment of fibromyalgia. Frontiers in Psychology, 15. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1286118
Full Text Access: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11148358/
Gardoki-Souto, I., Martain de la Torre, O., Hogg, B., Redolar-Ripoll, D., Martínez Sadurní, L., Fontana McNally, M., Banck, J. M., ... Moreno-Alcázar, A. (2024). ºCorrigendum: Augmentation of EMDR with multifocal transcranial current stimulation (MtCS) in the treatment of fibromyalgia: Study protocol of a double blind randomized controlled exploratory and pragmatic trial. ResearchSquare. doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-4363105/v1
Full Text Access: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04084795?term=EMDR&cond=Fibromyalgia&draw=2&rank=1)
From the bookshelf:
See Chapter 8: Fibromyalgia Syndrome Treatment with EMDR Therapy in:
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing EMDR Therapy Scripted Protocols and Summary Sheets.
Luber, Marilyn, PhD. (Ed). Treating Eating Disorders, Chronic Pain, and Maladaptive Self-Care Behaviors; 2018, New York, N.Y., Springer. DOI: 10.1891/9780826194725