September 7, 2005 – Acupuncture treatment offered over a relatively short period of time would restore quality of life to people with fibromyalgia, although the benefits of treatment wear off after therapy ends.
A study by researchers from the renowned Mayo Clinic in the United States, the results of which were recently presented at the 11e World Pain Congress in Australia concludes that acupuncture treatment of just two or three weeks offers marked relief from the chronic fatigue, pain and anxiety experienced by patients with fibromyalgia. .
The fifty patients who participated in the study were described as being “moderately” bothered by the disease. They were not relieved by conventional treatments. Half of them received proper acupuncture treatment while the rest received only sham treatment.
Patients who received the actual acupuncture treatment reported marked improvement in their condition, unlike the control group. This improvement was most noticeable one month after the end of treatment.
However, seven months later, all of the patients were back to baseline, as their symptoms were of the same severity as before.
Principal investigator, Dr. David Martin, concludes that acupuncture is an attractive alternative for people with fibromyalgia, especially for those who are not relieved by usual therapies. This could prove to be even more effective with a prolonged duration of acupuncture treatment.
Fibromyalgia is a chronic disease characterized by a feeling of fatigue, lack of energy and muscle pain. Its causes are not known.
Jean-Benoit Legault – PasseportSanté.net
According to HealthDay and WebMD.