Physical Activity and Exercise Experience in Spanish and US Men with Fibromyalgia: A Qualitative Cross-Cultural Study

Pilar Montesó-Curto (), Loren Toussaint, Angela Kueny, Ilga Ruschak, Shannon Lunn, Lluís Rosselló, Carme Campoy, Stephanie Clark, Connie Luedtke, Alessandra Queiroga Gonçalves, Carina Aguilar Martín, Ann Vincent and Arya B. Mohabbat
Additional contact information
Pilar Montesó-Curto: Primary Care, Catalan Healthcare System, 43500 Tortosa, Spain
Loren Toussaint: Department of Psychology, Luther College, Decorah, IA 52101, USA
Angela Kueny: Department of Nursing, Luther College, Decorah, IA 52101, USA
Ilga Ruschak: Internal Medicine Unit, Sant Pau i Santa Tecla Hospital, 43880 Tarragona, Spain
Shannon Lunn: Research Division, United Hospital Allina Health, St. Paul, MN 55102, USA
Lluís Rosselló: Santa Maria Hospital, 25198 Lleida, Spain
Carme Campoy: Faculty of Nursing and Physiotherapy, Lleida University, 25198 Lleida, Spain
Stephanie Clark: Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55901, USA
Connie Luedtke: Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55901, USA
Alessandra Queiroga Gonçalves: Research Support Unit, Terres de l’Ebre, Jordi Gol Primary Healthcare University Institute, 43500 Tortosa, Spain
Carina Aguilar Martín: Research Support Unit, Terres de l’Ebre, Jordi Gol Primary Healthcare University Institute, 43500 Tortosa, Spain
Ann Vincent: Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55901, USA
Arya B. Mohabbat: Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55901, USA

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 18, 1-17

Abstract: Physical exercise is an indispensable element in the multidisciplinary treatment of fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). The present study examined if men diagnosed with FMS engaged in any type of physical activity or exercise, the perceived effects from exercise, and who specifically recommended exercise. A qualitative cross-cultural study was performed in fibromyalgia clinical units in Spain and the United States. A total of 17 participants, 10 men from Spain and 7 men from the US, were included. In Spain, a focus group was completed in two parts, one month apart in 2018. In the US, five individual interviews and one joint interview with two men were completed in 2018. Three central themes appeared in the qualitative data: (1) Understanding what constitutes physical activity or exercise, (2) Facilitating or discouraging the performance of physical exercise, and (3) Effects of physical activity or exercise on psychological and social symptoms. The actual practice of exercise by patients with FMS is often perceived as leading to pain and fatigue, rather than a treatment facilitator. Physical activity and exercise can provide benefits, including relaxation, socialization, and increased muscle tone. However, minor opioids limit physical activity as they cause addiction, drowsiness, and decrease physical activity in Spanish men. Recommendations in a clinical setting should incorporate exercise as well as physical activity via daily life activities.

Keywords: exercise; fibromyalgia; men; physical activity; experience (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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