Introduction: Fibromyalgia is a chronic, complex disorder characterized by chronic, diffuse musculoskeletal pain associated with symptoms such as fatigue, depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbances. Because of the vague and common symptoms, the condition is often misdiagnosed. Fibromyalgia treatment requires an individualized approach based on a combination of pharmacological therapy and non-pharmacological approaches, of which hydrotherapy is the most recommended. Numerous activities can be performed in water to reduce pain and improve circulation, muscle performance, joint mobility and psychological state. Purpose: The purpose of this paper was to present the effects of hydrotherapy in subjects with fibromyalgia, based on a literature review. Methods: Literature published between 2005 and 2020 was searched in the PEDro and PubMed databases. Results: Eight free full-text articles were included in the analysis. Five studies compared hydrotherapy with other non-pharmacological approaches, and the other three compared hydrotherapy with a control group without any activity. The authors used various measurement tools and found a significant reduction in the impact of fibromyalgia on quality of life, relief of pain and symptoms of depression and anxiety, and improvement in functional capacity. Discussion and Conclusion: Based on a review of the literature, we can conclude that hydrotherapy is an effective approach to relieve symptoms and thus treat fibromyalgia.
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