FUNCTIONAL OUTCOME MEASURES IN A STANDARDIZED FIBROMYALGIA PROGRAM. Renee B. Garrison*; Francis X. Clasby Physical Therapy, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, SC PURPOSE: The Fibromyalgia program at MUSC was designed to effectively treat patients with Fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in the Charelston community and surrounding area. Outcome measures were included in the program in order to monitor progress and determine efficacy of the program. BACKGROUNDS/SIGNIFICANCE: Fibromyalgia affects between 3-7 million Americans. Exercise is an integral part of the non-pharmocological treatment of this syndrome. Rheumatologists, neurologists, anesthesiologists, and other physicians see many patients with the diagnosis and often refer these individuals to physical therapy. it is important for physical therapists to have safe, effective, and structured programs to help patients deal with their symptoms. SUBJECTS: Between the years 1999-2003, there were 183 patients referred to physical therapy at MUSC with the diagnosis of FMS or CFS. These subjects were enrolled into the program if either of these diagnoses was primary. If the patient was experiencing a flare-up of a musculoskeletal or rheumatologic disorder, i.e. lupus, RA, polymyositis, etc., the flare-up was treated first. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Patients took outcome measures at 3 different times: T1- initial evaluation, T2- 4 weeks, and T3 - 8 weeks (discharge.) Outcome measures included the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), and the Short-Form 36 (SF-36.) Phase I consisted of a progressive exercise program of stretching and strengthening and patient education/self care training, i.e. posture and body mechanics training, diaphragmatic breathing, relaxation training, sleeping aides, etc. Phase II integrated a walking (aerobic) exercise program. The patient would walk 5 min, 10 min, 15 min, and 20 min respectively in each visit of phase II. The patient was monitored for heart rate and blood pressure and was instructed to try to reach 65% of max heart rate. ANALYSES: Data were analyzed for individual patients at 3 times during their treatment: T1- initial evaluation, T2- 4weeks, T3- 8 weeks. The Sf-36 and the FIQ require formulas and are scored in an excel program. The BDI and FSS can be manually scored. All except the FSS were included in the long term goals of the program. RESULTS: -The average score on the FIQ at T1: 51.2, at T2: 43.8, and at T3: 42.2 - overall decrease: 9 points -The average pain score on the VAS at T1: 7.2, at T2: 6.3, and at T3: 5.4 - overall decrease 1.8 points -The average SF-36 Mental Component Score at T1: 28.5, at T2: 30.5, and at T3: 35.4 - overall increase 6.9 points - The average SF-36 Physical Component Score at T1: 40.22, at T2: 44.1, and at T3: 45.0 - overall increase: 4.78 - The average BDI scores were not able to be tabulated at this time CONCLUSIONS: The Fibromyalgia program was successful for those individuals who completed the entire program. The major limitation was the extremely high attrition rate, which can be attributed to multiple factors: high pain level, low functional level, decreased motivation due to pain, sedentary lifestyle with difficulty getting to appointments, 1x/week appointments only. Exercise and education can be beneficial for those patients who are willing to complete an 8 week program with consistent paricipation. FUNDING SOURCE: n/a KEYWORDS: fibromyalgia, physical therapy, functional outcomes Copyright 2009 by the American Physical Therapy Association. Requests for reprints should be directed to the corresponding author of the article. Educators, students, and other academic customers may receive permission to reprint copyrighted material from Physical Therapy (ISSN 1538-6724) by contacting the Copyright Clearance Center Inc, 222 Rosewood Dr, Danvers, MA 01923. Other types of customers who want permission to reprint should contact the APTA Editorial Office, Attn: Physical Therapy.