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New Research Shows Acupuncture Helps Relieve Fibromyalgia Symptoms

ImmuneSupport.com

11-14-2001

According to research presented on November 12, 2001 at the annual

meeting of the American College of Rheumatology in San Francisco,

acupuncture helped relieve symptoms such as pain and depression in

women with fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia is a disorder that causes

muscle pain, stiffness, and fatigue. It affects about 2% of

Americans, mostly women. Dr. Feldman, head of Rheumatology at

the Federal University of Sao o, Brazil, and lead author of the

research presented, commented, " [Fibromyalgia] patients not getting

enough results from drug therapy should try honest acupuncture. It

really works. "

In the study, the researchers randomly assigned 60 women who suffered

from fibromyalgia into three groups. All patients received

amitriptyline, a standard pain medication prescribed for

fibromyalgia, at bedtime for 16 weeks.

In addition, 20 of the women received a once-a-week, 30-minute

acupuncture session, while a second group of 20 underwent a once-a-

week, 30-minute sham acupuncture session where they were punctured in

areas not believed to have any effect on pain.

The patients were evaluated every month for pain, depression and

quality of life measures by healthcare workers who were unaware which

treatment the patients were receiving.

The researchers reported that patients who received the authentic

acupuncture treatments were the only ones who showed statistically

significant improvement on measures of pain, depression and mental

health after the first month.

" The intriguing thing is this is not a placebo effect, " Dr. Feldman

said. " The results lasted for up to 16 weeks, at which time the

patients began regressing slightly and would need reinforcement

acupuncture sessions, " Dr. Feldman said. " It's not a one-time

treatment, " he added.

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