A new study suggests that people with fibromyalgia may benefit from acupuncture treatment. Fibromyalgia is a condition characterized by pain in the muscles and soft tissues. Sleep disturbances, fatigue, depression and tender trigger points are common symptoms as well.
The Pain of Fibromyalgia Is Hard to Treat:
Although doctors treat fibromyalgia with antidepressants or with a prescription drug-pregabalin (Lyrica), duloxetine (Cymbalta) or milnacipran (Savella)-people with fibromyalgia often continue to suffer. Other treatments, especially non-drug therapies with minimal side effects, would be very welcome.
Acupuncture for the Pain of Fibromyalgia:
The acupuncture study was conducted in Seville, Spain. It included 153 patients with a history of fibromyalgia. They were randomized to receive either simulated acupuncture or personalized acupuncture for 20 minutes. Both groups received nine weekly sessions.
In studying acupuncture, it is important to have a group that receives what appears to be acupuncture but actually is not. That way the researchers can compare the responses using the sham acupuncture group as controls. Acupuncture has a powerful placebo effect, and sham acupuncture is often surprisingly effective, regardless of the outcome being studied.
The Results of the Study:
Those receiving the real acupuncture needed less medication to treat the pain of fibromyalgia compared to the group receiving sham acupuncture. After 12 months, those who had received true acupuncture had improved their pain scores by 20 percent, compared to 6 percent for the control group.
The investigators conclude:
Individualised acupuncture treatment in primary care in patients with fibromyalgia proved efficacious in terms of pain relief, compared with placebo treatment. The effect persisted at 1 year, and its side effects were mild and infrequent. Therefore, the use of individualised acupuncture in patients with fibromyalgia is recommended.
