OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture for fibromyalgia. METHODS:Fifty-eight women with fibromyalgia were allocated randomly to receive either acupuncture together with tricyclic antidepressants and exercise (n=34), or tricyclic antidepressants and exercise only (n=24). Patients rated their pain on a visual analogue scale. A blinded assessor evaluated both the mean pressure pain threshold value over all 18 fibromyalgia points and quality of life using SF-36. RESULTS: At the end of 20 sessions, patients who received acupuncture were significantly better than the control group in all measures of pain and in 5 of the SF-36 subscales. After 6 months, the acupuncture group was significantly better than the control group in numbers of tender points, mean pressure pain threshold at the 18 tender points and 3 subscales of SF-36. After one year, the acupuncture group showed significance in one subscale of the SF-36; at 2 years there were no significant differences in any outcome measures. CONCLUSION: Addition of acupuncture to usual treatments for fibromyalgia may be beneficial for pain and quality of life for 3 months after the end of treatment. Future research is needed to evaluate the specific effects of acupuncture for fibromyalgia.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture for fibromyalgia. METHODS: Fifty-eight women with fibromyalgia were allocated randomly to receive either acupuncture together with tricyclic antidepressants and exercise (n=34), or tricyclic antidepressants and exercise only (n=24). Patients rated their pain on a visual analogue scale. A blinded assessor evaluated both the mean pressure pain threshold value over all 18 fibromyalgia points and quality of life using SF-36. RESULTS: At the end of 20 sessions, patients who received acupuncture were significantly better than the control group in all measures of pain and in 5 of the SF-36 subscales. After 6 months, the acupuncture group was significantly better than the control group in numbers of tender points, mean pressure pain threshold at the 18 tender points and 3 subscales of SF-36. After one year, the acupuncture group showed significance in one subscale of the SF-36; at 2 years there were no significant differences in any outcome measures. CONCLUSION: Addition of acupuncture to usual treatments for fibromyalgia may be beneficial for pain and quality of life for 3 months after the end of treatment. Future research is needed to evaluate the specific effects of acupuncture for fibromyalgia.
Authors: B Arnold; W Häuser; M Arnold; M Bernateck; K Bernardy; W Brückle; E Friedel; H J Hesselschwerdt; W Jäckel; V Köllner; E Kühn; F Petzke; M Settan; M Weigl; E Winter; M Offenbächer Journal: Schmerz Date: 2012-06 Impact factor: 1.107
Authors: C Sommer; W Häuser; R Alten; F Petzke; M Späth; T Tölle; N Uçeyler; A Winkelmann; E Winter; K J Bär Journal: Schmerz Date: 2012-06 Impact factor: 1.107
Authors: Felipe Fregni; Marta Imamura; Hsin Fen Chien; Henry L Lew; Paulo Boggio; Ted J Kaptchuk; Marcelo Riberto; Wu Tu Hsing; Linamara Rizzo Battistella; Andrea Furlan Journal: Am J Phys Med Rehabil Date: 2010-02 Impact factor: 2.159
Authors: John C Deare; Zhen Zheng; Charlie C L Xue; Jian Ping Liu; Jingsheng Shang; Sean W Scott; Geoff Littlejohn Journal: Cochrane Database Syst Rev Date: 2013-05-31