Acupuncture & Light Therapy for Fibromyalgia
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio
“ATTENTION! Do not self diagnose. This article is intended for informational use only and not meant to diagnose or treat your condition. Please see your health provider for a proper diagnosis.”
Fibromyalgia is a neurological condition affecting 5% of the population that causes whole body pain and tenderness. The pain may be constant or intermittent, and move around the body. Other major symptoms seen may include chronic fatigue with sleep problems. The cause is unknown and most often occurs n in middle adulthood but can be seen in teens and the elderly. Onset of the condition is unknown but you may be at higher risk if you have an existing condition with your joints, muscles, and bones. These include but not limited to osteoarthritis, lupus, ankylosing spondylitis, rheumatoid arthritis, among other rheumatic disease.
How is it diagnosed?
Based on your symptoms and presentations, your doctor will identify tenderness to pressure or tender points at 19 specific points on your body. A physical exam is essential to confirm a diagnosis and rule out any other possible muscle pains. Other lab tests may be utilized to help rule out other health problems that may have similar signs and symptoms.
Photo by Bill Oxford
Does the point location of the acupuncture matter?
Based on a systemic review and meta analysis across ten research studies of 690 participants, research shows that true acupuncture (using the proper point prescription) showed a significance difference compared to sham acupuncture (improper location of needling).
This suggest which points utilized for your condition matters! Every provider has a different approach to care, training, and expertise. Thus, finding the right provider is important.
Can acupuncture help?
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Studies have shown acupuncture can help fibromyalgia patients in pain relief & sleep quality and be used as a complementary or stand alone management for patients with fibromyalgia both in short and long term care. To find out more about the common tender spots of fibromyalgia and common acupuncture points used to treat the pain, check out our other blog entry Trigger or Tender Points in Fibromyalgia.
Can low level light therapy and LED phototherapy help?
Low-level laser therapy (LLLT), is an an emerging nonpharmacological treatment having shown relief for musculoskeletal or neuropathic pain. While the challenge in the systemic review did not indicate the a clear protocol of how to apply the LLLT/LED, a systemic review suggest:
Improvement in pain relief
Reduction of tender points
Reduction of fatigue
Reduction of Depression
Reduction of Anxiety
To learn more how we can help, visit our office in Los Gatos, California.
Citations:
Kim J, Kim SR, Lee H, Nam DH. Comparing Verum and Sham Acupuncture in Fibromyalgia Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2019 Aug 25;2019:8757685. doi: 10.1155/2019/8757685. PMID: 31534469; PMCID: PMC6732586.
Yeh SW, Hong CH, Shih MC, Tam KW, Huang YH, Kuan YC. Low-Level Laser Therapy for Fibromyalgia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Pain Physician. 2019 May;22(3):241-254. PMID: 31151332.
Zhang XC, Chen H, Xu WT, Song YY, Gu YH, Ni GX. Acupuncture therapy for fibromyalgia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. J Pain Res. 2019 Jan 30;12:527-542. doi: 10.2147/JPR.S186227. PMID: 30787631; PMCID: PMC6365227.
