Treatment of torture victims--a longitudinal clinical study

To look at the effect of physiotherapy as part of the multidisciplinary treatment of torture victims. Monitoring of an extended, personally designed, multidisciplinary treatment of 21 torture victims, earlier exposed to both physical and psychological torture, over nine months with assessment of outcome. The physiotherapy comprised elements such as massage, exercise on land, balance training and stimulation of proprioception, all aiming at regaining body awareness. Effect of treatment was measured using the fibrositis index. Non-parametric statistics using the Wilcoxon test was applied. Prior to treatment the median score of the fibrositis index was 15 points (range 2-34). After nine months of multidisciplinary treatment the median score of the fibrositis index was 2 points (range 0-3415). This decrease in experienced muscle pain was statistically significant (p