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Acupuncture and Fibromyalgia

By Henry J. Fishman, M.D.
ConsumerAffairs.com

July 18, 2005

• Study: Acupuncture Beats Conventional Treatment for Back Pain • Acupuncture and Fibromyalgia • Acupuncture and Knee Pain • Study Finds Acupuncture No Help for Migraines

Does acupuncture help people with fibromyalgia, a disease which causes chronic muscle pain and standard therapies often cannot help?

Unfortunately, while a lot of folks think and hope that it does, acupuncture does not seem to work very well, according to an article recently published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Researchers divided one hundred people, largely women, suffering from fibromyalgia into four treatment groups.

The first group received acupuncture, the second acupuncture for an unrelated condition, the third needles in non-acupuncture points and the fourth needles that feel real but didn't pierce the skin.

After three months all groups felt about the same, a bit better but not terrific. Real acupuncture did not help any more than the fake therapies. Now, the study was small and some acupuncturists may do a better job than those in the study.

Still, acupuncture does not seem to work for fibromyalgia -- stunning news for millions who suffer from this disabling disorder and now must talk to their doctors about other answers.

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