Did you know about five percent of the population lives with fibromyalgia? Around eighty percent of that group are women. Fibromyalgia patients have widespread chronic pain, which often leads to fatigue, poor sleep, and depression. It can cause symptoms similar to arthritis, bursitis, and tendinitis, however, while these pains are localized, fibromyalgia is much more widespread. Many can be left without hope of relief. But, new research shows that adding acupuncture to your traditional medical treatments can help ease fibromyalgia pain.
An unregulated central nervous system that sends an abundance of pain signals to the brain can cause many fibromyalgia patients pain. Research suggests that acupuncture may help calm the nervous system and aid in slowing the pain signals. It can also help increase blood flow which helps oxygenate tissues in pain. All this points to acupuncture being an integral part of modern fibromyalgia treatment.
It’s important to note that acupuncture is not a replacement for traditional medicine. At BT Wellness, we believe in integrated medicine, meaning that we complement and work with whatever treatments you already use. Fibromyalgia treatment usually starts with nerve pain medications such as Lyrica. Doctors may prescribe acupuncture if that medication fails or is only partly effective. In fact, according to a recent study, after a year of acupuncture treatment, patients had an average drop of twenty percent in their pain score. This is compared with a six percent drop among those who had simulated therapy.
This shows that when acupuncture is added to existing treatments, it can help ease pain, allowing patients to use less pain medication and improve their quality of life. So, if you suffer from pain, you might want to consider an integrated medical approach.
Have any other questions about acupuncture or fibromyalgia pain?
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