Acupuncture effective for fibromyalgia

Acupuncture may help relieve the symptoms of fibromyalgia, especially the fatigue and anxiety that often comes with the condition. Fibromyalgia is a syndrome marked by chronic widespread aches and pains, fatigue and sleep problems, among other symptoms; the cause is unknown, and there are no medications specifically approved for the condition. Instead, treatment usually involves a combination of approaches, such as painkillers, antidepressants and exercise therapy. Acupuncture is among the most popular and best-studied forms of alternative medicine; research suggests it can help ease pain stemming from a range of conditions, including lower back problems, migraine and arthritis.Researchers at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Rochester, USA, did a study wherein fifty fibromyalgia patients were randomly assigned to acupuncture or to a placebo version of the therapy, where a dull surgical instrument was pressed against the skin rather than acupuncture needles. The subjects were positioned so they could not see which treatment they received. All but one subject was female. The patients underwent six treatment sessions over two to three weeks. None of the patients had been treated with acupuncture before.

Symptomatic improvement was not restricted to pain relief and was most significant for fatigue and anxiety, though it's not clear why the fatigue and anxiety symptoms in particular improved. But, according to traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture points on the skin are connected to internal pathways that conduct energy, and stimulating the points with a fine needle promotes a balanced flow of this energy. Research in recent years has suggested that acupuncture may work by altering signals among nerve cells or affecting the release of various chemicals of the central nervous system.

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