Acupuncture For Fibromyalgia
Study Of Acupuncture for Fibromyalgia Pain Management
Mayo's study involved 50 fibromyalgia patients enrolled in a randomized, controlled trial to determine if acupuncture for fibromyalgia, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia relief, fibromyalgia information, fibromyalgia trigger pointe improved their symptoms. Symptoms of fibromyalgia in patients who received acupuncture significantly improved compared with the control group, according to the study published in the June issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
"The results of the study convince me there is something more than the placebo effect to acupuncture," says David Martin, M.D., Ph.D., lead author of the acupuncture article and a Mayo Clinic anesthesiologist. "It affirms a lot of clinical impressions that this complementary medical technique is helpful for patients."
Increasingly, patients are interested in pursuing complementary medicine techniques in conjunction with their mainstream medical care, Dr. Martin says. But often, such techniques lack scientific evidence to justify a patient's expense and time.
The study lends credence to the growing belief that non-traditional methods may improve health. In Mayo's trial, patients who received acupuncture for fibromyalgia symptoms reported improvement in chronic fatigue and anxiety, among other symptoms. Acupuncture was well tolerated, with minimal side effects.
Mayo's acupuncture study is one of only three randomized and controlled studies involving fibromyalgia patients. Of the other studies, one found acupuncture to be helpful, while the other reported it was ineffective for pain relief.
Dr. Martin says Mayo's study demonstrates that acupuncture is helpful, and also proves physicians can conduct a rigorous, controlled acupuncture study. Future research could help physicians understand which medical conditions respond best to acupuncture, how to apply it to best relieve symptoms, and how long patients can expect to their symptoms to decrease after each treatment.
Dr. Martin performed the study at Mayo Clinic Rochester with co-authors Ines Berger, M.D.; Christopher Sletten, Ph.D.; and Brent Williams.
Using needles for acupuncture treatment for pain relief cannot be done at home. It must be carried out by suitably trained and reputable practitioners. You want to be confident that the needles are sterile and that your medical profile is understood. Electro acupuncture on the other hand does not pierce the skin and can be used at home, after training by a therapist. The electro acupuncture device will be supplied by your therapist.
When pain is relieved, patients often feel a greater sense of well-being overall, physically and emotionally. As a result, they may heal faster.
Trigger Points
Most acupuncture points coincide with the “trigger points” described by Janet G. Travell, MD, whose textbook, "Myofascial Pain & Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual" is widely used at pain management centers in the Western world.
The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook: Your Self-Treatment Guide for Pain Relief, Second Edition
