Brochures

Fibromyalgia Treatment

Background

At one time or another, an individual may have an ache or pain that comes and goes. Aches and pains may be caused by flu, from overuse of a muscle or even from poor posture while watching television. Sometimes, individuals may wake up feeling stiff and wondering if they may have slept in an awkward position.

There's nothing unusual about these types of pain. Yet, when pain, stiffness and aching occur constantly, it's time to contact a doctor to determine what could be causing such discomfort. It is possible that Fibromyalgia will be the diagnosis. Fibromyalgia is also known as Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS), Fibrosistis, or Chronic Muscle Pain Syndrome. If diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, it is imperative to learn as much as possible, for the more one knows, the more one will be able to keep the condition under control.

Who Suffers From Fibromyalgia?

Currently, millions of Americans have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. Though most anyone can be diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, many more women have been diagnosed than men – and most are between the ages of 20 and 50.

There is increasing evidence Fibromyalgia can start during the teenage years. Some teenagers suffer from symptoms just as severe as their middle-age counterparts. Many individuals who experience only occasional symptoms in their youth, experience greater pain and discomfort in their later years.

How Is Fibromyalgia Treated?

Western medicine has yet to find a cure for Fibromyalgia. Doctors, to manage the symptoms prescribe medication, in the form of painkillers or anti-depressants.

Unfortunately, the symptoms of Fibromyalgia are hard to control; hence most patients are disappointed with treatment. Fibromyalgia patients continue to suffer from additional weight gain, bloating, depression, muscle jerking, sleeplessness, and continued pain.

What Is Fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is a form of the chronic rheumatic disorder. Like other forms of rheumatic disease, Fibromyalgia is comprised of widespread musculoskeletal pain and fatigue disorder. With Fibromyalgia, pain is centralized in the ligaments, tendons, and muscles. This affects the way joints function. Most patients with Fibromyalgia say they ache all over. Muscles may feel like they have been pulled or overworked. Sometimes, muscles twitch while at other times they burn. The severity of the symptoms will fluctuate from person to person.

What Causes Fibromyalgia?

Most medical doctors are unable to pinpoint the exact cause of Fibromyalgia. It may be caused by a lack of exercise, sleep disorders, stress, or emotional trauma.

Practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine believe Fibromyalgia is caused by stagnation of blood, Qi (pronounced Chee), by the invasion of pathogenic factors of the wind, cold or dampness to the body or by nutritional imbalances.

Fibromyalgia is very similar to neurasthenia or an epidemic of the flu or cold.

Symptoms of Fibromyalgia

Aches and Pain:

Includes pain all over, around the joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Can be found in as many as ten to twenty spots, sensitive to the touch, located along the spine, the middle and lower back neck, shoulder arms, and legs. Fibromyalgia, and the pain associated with it, knows no boundaries. Pain can be described as deep muscular aching, burning, throbbing, shooting, or stabbing. Pain often worsens in the latter part of the day and is aggravated by cold or dampness. Fibromyalgia can also cause tension headaches.

Fatigue, Lassitude & Lack of Energy:

Before Fibromyalgia was widely accepted, it was known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Fatigue, Lassitude and lack of energy can be mild in some patients yet incapacitating in others. Fatigue has been described as "brain fatigue" in which patients feel drained of energy.

Because of pain, tiredness and other associated problems, sound sleep is often impossible. The less sleep a patient has, the worse Fibromyalgia gets.

Associated Symptoms:

Anxiety, irritable bowel syndrome, numbness or coldness of the extremities, frequent urination and weight gain are very common with Fibromyalgia.

Research on Acupuncture for Fibromyalgia

A 2013 Cochrane review of 9 studies involving 395 participants found low-to-moderate quality evidence that acupuncture improves pain and stiffness in people with fibromyalgia, compared with no treatment or standard care alone.

The same review found that acupuncture's effect did not clearly differ from sham (placebo) acupuncture for pain, fatigue, sleep, or overall well-being. A 2020 evidence update found a small improvement in physical function compared with sham acupuncture, but no effect on pain itself — research in this area continues, and results across studies remain mixed.

How Fibromyalgia Is Treated At Our Clinic

Dragon Phoenix Acupuncture adheres to the practices of traditional Chinese Medicine. The Acupuncturist will use a combination of Electroacupuncture (with or without needles); moxibustion, cupping and Chinese massage to treat Fibromyalgia. treatment using sound nutrition and herbal preparation counseling is free.

Treatment consists of a comprehensive pain management program. For minor cases, ten to fifteen treatments may be needed to control the symptoms of Fibromyalgia. For patients suffering from severe Fibromyalgia, more treatments will be necessary.

Dragon Phoenix Acupuncture is committed to:

• Improving the circulation of Qi and blood and decrease or eliminate aches and pain.
• Improve sleeping patterns
• Correct digestive problems, stress, depression, and headache
• Ease fatigue and improve energy levels to allow patients to perform some form of physical exercise and Improve a patient's well being.

Sources: Cochrane systematic review of acupuncture for fibromyalgia (2013); Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality evidence update, cited by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), 2020.