Fibromyalgia
Several studies have shown acupuncture to be effective for the treatment of fibromyalgia pain. In one study of high methodological quality, Deluze et al (1992) treated fibromyalgia in a group of 70 patients randomized to electro-acupuncture or control groups. Following treatment, pain threshold at tender sites improved by 70% in the electro-acupuncture group and only 4% in the control group.
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Deluze C, Bosia L, Zirbs A, Chantraine A, Vischer T 1992 Electro-acupuncture in fibromyalgia: results of a controlled trial. British Medical journal 305:1249-1252.
Targino RA, Imamura M, Kaziyama HH, Souza LP, Hsing WT, Imamura ST. Pain treatment with acupuncture for patients with fibromyalgia. Curr Pain Headache Rep 2002 Oct;6(5):379-83. RESULTS: “applying traditional acupuncture demonstrated positive rates in the Visual Analogue Scale, myalgic index, number of tender points, and improvement in quality of life based on the SF-36 questionnaire.”
Sprott H, Jeschonneck M, Grohmann G, Hein G. Microcirculatory changes over the tender points in fibromyalgia patients after acupuncture therapy (measured with laser-Doppler flowmetry). Wien Klin Wochenschr 2000 Jul 7;112(13):580-6 . CONCLUSIONS: “These data suggest that acupuncture is a useful method to treat patients with fibromyalgia. Besides normalisation of clinical parameters, the improvement in microcirculation above ‘tender points’ may alleviate pain. ”
Sprott H, Franke S, Kluge H, Hein G. Pain treatment of fibromyalgia by acupuncture. Rheumatol Int 1998;18(1):35-6. CONCLUSIONS: “Acupuncture treatment of patients with fibromyalgia was associated with decreased pain levels and fewer positive tender points as measured by VAS and dolorimetry. This was accompanied by decreased serotonin concentration in platelets and an increase of serotonin and substance P levels in serum. These results suggest that acupuncture therapy is associated with changes in the concentrations of pain-modulating substances in serum.”
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