Heikki Suoyrjö, Tuula Oksanen, Katariina Hinkka, Jaana Pentti, Mika Kivimäki, Timo Klaukka, Jussi Vahtera
DOI: 10.2340/16501977-0278

Background: Patients with fibromyalgia have a high risk of temporary and permanent work disability. Little is known about the effects of fibromyalgia rehabilitation on work disability. Objective: To determine whether a specific fibromyalgia rehabilitation programme is superior to a non-specific musculo¬skeletal rehabilitation of patients with fibromyalgia in terms of work disability.
Methods: A prospective observational study of 215 local government employees with a 6-year post-intervention follow-up to monitor the occurrence of long sick-leave and disability pensions among the participants of two different fibromyalgia rehabilitation programmes.
Results: Specific fibromyalgia rehabilitation was not superior to a non-specific musculoskeletal rehabilitation, with the corresponding hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) after adjustments being 1. 02 (0. 75–1. 40) for long sick-leave, 1. 18 (0. 75–1. 87) for very long sick-leave, and 1. 07 (0. 63–1. 83) for disability pension.
Conclusion: The results suggest that in reducing work disability among patients with fibromyalgia a specific multidisciplinary fibromyalgia rehabilitation programme practised in Finland provides no benefit compared with non-specific multidisciplinary musculoskeletal rehabilitation. Further research is needed to develop an optimal programme (or several different programmes) to control the burden of work disability related to fibromyalgia.