Acupuncture for Fibromyalgia Syndrome
Fibromyalgia
Syndrome (FMS) affects an estimated 2 percent of the population.
Conventional therapies are limited in the success of treating this complex
and unexplained condition. Current treatment is largely comprised of
prescribing different medications for the varying symptoms in a trial and
error approach. Research shows that as many as 90 percent of people with
fibromyalgia have turned to complimentary and alternative medicine to manage
their symptoms. Acupuncture, in particular, has become a popular treatment
choice and has shown to be an effective treatment for FMS.
What is Fibromyalgia Syndrome?
Fibromyalgia is a medically unexplained syndrome characterized by chronic
widespread pain, a heightened and painful response to pressure, insomnia,
fatigue, and depression. While not all affected persons experience all
associated symptoms, the following symptoms commonly occur together:
• chronic pain
• debilitating fatigue
• difficulty sleeping
• anxiety and depression
• joint stiffness
• chronic headaches and jaw pain
• difficulty swallowing
• dryness in mouth, nose, and eyes
• hypersensitivity to odors, bright lights, and loud noises
• inability to concentrate (called "fibro fog")
• incontinence
• irritable bowel syndrome
• numbness or tingling in the fingers and feet
• painful menstrual cramps
• poor circulation in hands and feet (called Raynaud's phenomenon)
• restless legs syndrome
Fibromyalgia is diagnosed when there is a history of widespread pain in all
four quadrants of the body for a minimum duration of three months and pain
when pressure is applied to at least 11 of 18 designated tender points on
the body. This condition does not result in any physical damage to the body
or its tissues and there are no laboratory tests which can confirm this
diagnosis.
Symptoms often begin after a physical or emotional trauma, but in many
cases there appears to be no triggering event. Women are more prone to
develop the disorder than are men, and the risk of fibromyalgia increases
with age.
From an Eastern Perspective
The Oriental medicine theory of pain is expressed in this famous Chinese
saying: "Bu tong ze tong, tong ze bu tong" which means "free
flow: no pain, no free flow: pain."
Pain is seen as a disruption of the flow of Qi within the body. The
disruption of Qi that results in fibromyalgia is usually associated with
disharmonies of the Liver, Spleen, Kidney and Heart Systems.
The Acupuncture Treatment
Oriental Medicine does not recognize fibromyalgia as one particular disease
pattern. Instead, it aims to treat the specific symptoms that are unique to
each individual depending on their constitution, emotional state, intensity
and location of their pain, digestive health, sleeping patterns and an
array of other signs and symptoms. Therefore, if 10 people are treated with
Oriental medicine for fibromyalgia, each of these 10 people will receive a
unique, customized treatment with different acupuncture points, different
herbs and different lifestyle and dietary recommendations.
Because the symptoms of fibromyalgia are highly variable form one person to
another, a wide array of traditional and alternative treatments has been
shown to be the most effective way of treating this difficult syndrome. A
treatment program may include a combination of psychological or behavioral
therapies, medications, exercise, acupuncture, herbal medicine and
bodywork.
If you have fibromyalgia, acupuncture and Oriental medicine may be what
you’ve been looking for to ease your symptoms and reclaim your health and
vitality. Please call for a consultation today.
Study on Acupuncture and Fibromyalgia
A recent study from the Mayo Clinic found acupuncture
helpful in treating the fatigue and anxiety commonly experienced by
fibromyalgia patients. In the trial, patients who received acupuncture to
counter their fibromyalgia symptoms reported improvement in fatigue and
anxiety, among other symptoms. Acupuncture was well tolerated, with minimal
side effects.
In the double-blind study, Mayo Clinic doctors gave 25 fibromyalgia
patients acupuncture, and 25 “sham” acupuncture treatments. Patients
received six treatments during the two- to three-week study. Those who
received acupuncture treatments reported less fatigue and anxiety one month
following after treatment than did the “sham” group.
"The results of the study convince me there is something more than the
placebo effect to acupuncture," says David Martin, M.D., Ph.D., lead
author of the acupuncture article and a Mayo Clinic anesthesiologist.
"It affirms a lot of clinical impressions that this complementary
medical technique is helpful for patients."
Dr. Martin says the study demonstrates that acupuncture is helpful, and
also proves physicians can conduct a rigorous, controlled acupuncture
study. Future research could help physicians understand which medical
conditions respond best to acupuncture, how to apply it to best relieve
symptoms, and how long patients can expect to their symptoms to decrease
after each treatment.
Dr. Martin performed the study at Mayo Clinic Rochester with co-authors
Ines Berger, M.D.; Christopher Sletten, Ph.D.; and Brent Williams. The
study used only two acupuncturists and examined only patients who reported
more severe symptoms, offering better experimental control. Still, the Mayo
Clinic doctors urged more study to see how acupuncture can best be used in
treating fibromyalgia patients.
Source: Mayo Clinic (2006, June 13). Acupuncture Relieves Symptoms Of
Fibromyalgia, Mayo Clinic Study Finds.
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In This Issue
·
Acupuncture
for Fibromyalgia Syndrome
·
Study on
Acupuncture and Fibromyalgia
·
10 Tips for
Preventing Fibromyalgia
10 Tips for Preventing Fibromyalgia
You can help cut
your risk significantly by incorporating a few simple lifestyle changes
into your daily routines and habits, according to Bob Flaws, author of Curing
Fibromyalgia Naturally with Chinese Medicine.
1. Eliminate processed foods from your diet, especially white sugar and
white flour products. These products give our bodies little nutrition and
over time can damage our digestion as well as cause obesity, one of the
common problems related to fibromyalgia.
2. Include all unprocessed foods in your diet, such as proteins, complex
and unrefined carbohydrates, vegetables, whole grains and legumes.
3. Eat foods that support the functions of the spleen and stomach. In other
words, avoid overly greasy foods, ice cold drinks, alcohol, raw and
uncooked foods, hot, peppery foods, coffee, and too much fruit. Avoid daily
juice drinks since these are the same as eating a candy bar in the amount
of sugar introduced into the body.
4. Stop drinking sodas. Sodas are acidic in nature and loaded with sugar
and chemicals. Sodas are detrimental to both the spleen and the kidneys.
5. Find some type of exercise that you really enjoy and just do it! Pumping
iron is not for everyone. You would probably benefit most from some kind of
cardiovascular exercise to keep to blood moving, like swimming, yoga,
stretching, and bicycling.
6. Take a walk every day. If you live with a dog or cat, play with them
daily. Animals live in the moment and love to play. This is a great way to
break stressful daily routines.
7. Practice Chinese self massage every morning by stimulating the
acupuncture points on the body and limbs to help promote the flow of Qi and
blood in the channels.
8. Buy some relaxation tapes with guided imaging. Learn how to really
relax. This means bodily relaxation as well as mental repose. Use these
tapes daily for the best results.
9. Take a look at the old habits and patterns of your life and ask yourself
what you can do to make your life better. Take up tasks and hobbies that
are interesting to you and break the normal routine of your day.
10. If you know that you have too much stress in your life, find a
solution. This may be finding a new job or new, more supportive
relationships. Understand that stress alone can kill you, and if you smoke
and consume alcohol to escape stressful situations, you are only fooling
yourself.
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