Can acupuncture help with fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is a debilitating condition that affects a wide number of points on the body. It’s classed as a musculoskeletal condition in the same group as arthritis. People with fibromyalgia can find it very painful to be touched – so can acupuncture really help?
How fibromyalgia affects sufferers
The severity of fibromyalgia varies from person to person. Some may only have it in one or two areas of the body, such as the arms or hips, while others have body-wide symptoms.
Nobody really knows what causes the pain of fibromyalgia . The brain receives pain signals in a more severe way than it should. A common tender point for a fibromyalgia sufferer is the upper arm: if someone even hugs you a bit too hard, this can cause immense pain for what should be a pleasant interaction.
Fibromyalgia also affects other parts of the body in different ways. It can cause memory problems, ‘mental fog’, fatigue and headaches. It’s a condition that many sufferers take a very long time to receive a diagnosis for, because so many of the symptoms are common with other illnesses.
How acupuncture can help fibromyalgia sufferers
For someone who can’t even be hugged without pain, it may sound strange to recommend that they are pierced with needles. However, acupuncture has been shown to relieve pain for fibromyalgia sufferers . It reduces pain in tender points around the body and is particularly effective when combined with cupping
Acupuncture for fibromyalgia is recommended by GPs and specialists who feel that conventional medicine has failed their patient. Many modern solutions to fibromyalgia involve covering up the pain temporarily (for the duration of a painkiller) rather than attempting to resolve the problem on a longer-term basis. Fibromyalgia is a constant condition that doesn’t go away, so a longer-term pain reduction technique, such as acupuncture, is worth considering.
Finding an acupuncturist for fibromyalgia
Just as not all masseuses can do a sports massage, not all acupuncturists specialise in treating fibromyalgia patients. It’s worth doing some research and getting in touch with your local acupuncturists to find out who would be best.
Make sure that your acupuncture therapist is trained and has experience treating fibromyalgia patients. A person with fibromyalgia using acupuncture may feel that they are more sore after the treatment the first time , but it’s recommended that a full course is followed to reap the benefits of acupuncture for fibromyalgia.
If you’re looking for an acupuncturist, why not search the Healthypages directory today?
