According to a study reported at the 11th World Congress on Pain in Sydney, Australia in August 2005, acupuncture was very successful at alleviating the symptoms of fibromyalgia. This study was conducted by the International Association for the Study of Pain. Results of the study showed that of the 50 patients who met the American College of Rheumatology’s criteria for fibromyalgia, and who had tried other Western treatments without relief, almost all felt a significant improvement in pain relief.
Patients received a total of six treatments over a two- or three-week period. Before the first treatment and immediately following the last treatment and at one and seven month intervals thereafter, patients completed a series of questionnaires to determine the severity of their symptoms. According to the study, the greatest improvement occurred at one month following the last treatment.
Patients were asked to complete a questionnaire before the first treatment, after the last treatment and at one-month intervals after the last treatment. The last questionnaire was at seven months. All the patients experienced significant improvement in pain relief. The doctors conducting the study said that they were also surprised because they expected only to see vast improvement in pain relief, and had not expected to also see improvements in relief from fatigue and anxiety. But all patients reported improvements with all three symptoms.
The doctors said that had the patients continued their treatments longer, they would have all had more far reaching cumulative effects that would have lasted even longer.
Fiibromyalgia is defined as having multiple points of pain and tenderness, not caused by other diseases. Also known as Chronic Fatigue Immune Deficiency Syndrome (CFIDS), symptoms also often include sore throat, headaches, trouble sleeping, fatigue and anxiety.
Most patients with fibromyalgia do not realize there are options to treatment other then conventional painkillers. Most Western doctors treat with anti-depressant medications. But, in fact, I have found that if people are willing to change their diet and take nutritional supplements, amino acids, herbs and homeopathic remedies, almost 80% will experience complete relief of their symptoms within two to four months.
My book, Optimal Health, How to Get It, How to Keep It, has an extensive chapter on my treatment philosophy for treating fibromyalgia.
In every case, the patient can choose to receive only acupuncture, or also take homeopathy remedies, herbs and nutritional supplements. Again, I have found that healing is accelerated if the patient chooses all types of treatment simultaneously. Acupuncture alone, however, is also successful in many patients. And remember, your health insurance almost always covers at least part of your costs in getting acupuncture treatments!
If you, or someone you know has fibromyalgia, or any type of pain, feel free to pass this information on to them. You can help yourself or someone else from a lifelong dependency on drug therapy and return to living symptom-free.