The Maintaining Musculoskeletal Health Study

It is known from many studies that when patients have developed chronic widespread pain (CWP) or fibromyalgia that managing such symptoms is extremely challenging for both doctors and patients. The investigators have shown in a recently completed study funded by Arthritis Research UK that a course of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy delivered by telephone (tCBT) or an exercise regime can substantially improve the chances of the symptoms improving. The investigators now plan to offer this therapy to patients who are at a high risk of developing CWP (but who have not developed it yet) to see whether its onset can be prevented.