Pilot Study: Relaxation and Guided Imagery in Hispanic Persons Diagnosed With Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia (FM), a chronic widespread pain condition with an unknown pathogenesis and no known cure, affects 2 to 4 million persons in the adult US population. One of the most common conditions seen in rheumatology clinics world wide, including the US, Mexico, and Spain, FM is accompanied by various co-occurring symptoms such as fatigue, disturbed sleep, stiffness and depression. While studies of fibromyalgia in Hispanics have been reported in Spain, Brazil and Argentina, very few such studies have been reported in the United States. This gap exists despite data indicating that there are a reported 16 million Hispanics with rheumatic diseases in the US and that Hispanics (self-identified) form the fastest growing minority group in this country.