FIBROMYALGIA - Acupuncture Comments from books

Fibromyalgia for Dummies

Ronald Staud, M.D.

Several key clinical studies on acupuncture have shown that acupuncture is effective against the pain of fibromyalgia. For example, in a study on fibromyalgia patients reported in 2006 in Mayo clinic proceedings. The researchers placed 25 of the patients in the acupuncture group and 25 in the control group receiving stimulated acupuncture. These researchers found that the symptoms of fatigue, anxiety, and pain were significantly reduced in the acupuncture group compared to the control group. It’s worth nothing that some studies find that patients don’t obtain significant relief from their symptoms with acupuncture.

According to the center for disease control and prevention(CDC), about 2 million people per year in the United States use acupuncture as a therapy.

Living Well with Chronic Fatigue symptom and Fibromyalgia

Mary J. Shomon

One way acupuncture work is by helping change the body’s pain perceptions and releasing endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers. The impact of acupuncture on CFS has not been extensively studied. But even through there haven’t been large-scale clinical trials. There is fairly strong evidence that acupuncture can be effective in treating fibromyalgia symptoms.

FIBROMYALGIA & CHRONIC MYOFACIAL PAIN

BY DEVIN STARLANYL, MARY ELLEN COPELAND

Classical acupuncture teaches that wherever there is pain, the chi(life force and energy) is not flowing freely. For the free flow of informational substances, e.g., neurotransmitters, to take place between muscles and connective tissue, the free of chi is essential. Acupuncture may be effective for treating both osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia(FMS). For some FMS patients, ten to fourteen acupuncture sessions seem to provide benefits.

 

100 Questions & Answers About Fibromyalgia

By Sharon Ostalecki, Ph.D. 

Acupuncture acts on pain-sensing nerve-fiber transmission in two ways. One way is by increasing the strength of inhibitory(pain-blocking) circuits in the brainstem. The brainstem circuits at the top of spinal cord act as pain gates that are closed by acupuncture. The other way is by reducing the excitability of pain circuits in the spinal cord and brain. These acupuncture-induced alterations reduce the hypersensitivity of the nervous system that develops in chronic pain. It also works by calming the chronically hyperaroused sympathetic nervous system, which reduces the muscle contractions present in fibromyalgia.

In all these systems, the treatment improves circulation of chi, blood, and fluids. Treatment also helps the body’s mechanisms for maintaining a steady state, thus moving you toward better balance and better health.

Fibromyalgia (The First Year)

Claudia Craig Marek

In one study of 60 FM patients, all patients received amitriptyline for pain and at bedtime. One group of 20 also had a weekly thirty-minute acupuncture session; a second group of 20 had a thirty-minute weekly mock acupuncture session, with treatment in areas not believed to have any effect on pain, depression and mental health, and results were seen within a month, and lasted as long as sixteen weeks.

A Swiss study of 70 patients found that 75 percent showed improvement in their disease with acupuncture treatment. And researchers at the Federal university of Sao Paulo, Brazil, have done study showing that acupuncture can help relieve symptoms such as pain and depression in fibromyalgia.

The Truth about Fibromyalgia

W. ClayMcCord. M.D.

Acupuncture

Since Martin’s observations in his 2006 Mayo clinic study, acupuncture has found acceptance in the medical community for the treatment of FM, Unexpectedly, fatigue and anxiety also improved. The mechanism remains to be elucidated but one review disclosed that neuroimaging has shown activation of pain inhibitory regions stimulated by acupuncture points that are not anatomically predictable. Furthermore, the analgestic effect is partially transferable via spinal fluid implying a chemical meditation.

Reversing Fibromyalgia

Dr. Joe M. Elrod

Perhaps the greatest determining factor in the success of failure of these treatment is the experience of practitioner. Inexperienced acupuncturists or those not familiar with fibromyalgia may do more harm than good. Make sure you find someone who is probably trained and licensed.

Fibromyalgia

Sharon Ostalecki

Acupuncture has some advantages ore traditional western therapies. For one thing, there are no side effects to speak of from acupuncture. There can be minor bruising and local irritation, but serious side effect are rare. The most serious potential side effect is organ puncture, but that should never happen. In contrast, all medications have side effects. At different points in their recovery, many fibromyalgia patients feel pain when pressure is put on trigger points. In fact, people with fibromyalgia often do not tolerate physical therapy or muscle manipulation therapies because they are painful. But with the acupuncture the amount of local tissue trauma is minimized, and the needle insertion points are at a distance from the actual tender points.

I have observed beneficial effects from acupuncture in patients suffering with fibromyalgia. These patients report less pain, less use of pain medication, and more stamina. Sometimes the benefits are most notable as a more restorative sleep pattern. Often after acupuncture, patient, report higher energy levels and lower anxiety level. Even if their pain remains, these benefits improve their quality of life. This may be partly due to the constitutional effects of acupuncture – normalizing effects on wide range of body functions. Dietary advice, psychological council, individual exercise plans, and recommendation, to optimize sleep complete the treatment plan. It seeks to identify imbalance in the system and restore harmony. The acupuncture needle is the tool whose proper placement encourages a new equilibrium for the individual. Acupuncture is a safe tool for treating fibromyalgia patients. Its effectiveness is substantiated by scientific, traditional, and anecdotal reports. This ancient practice represents the medicine of the future.