Using Acupuncture To Treat Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a condition that can cause people a large about of pain and difficulty. It is also something that conventional treatments may find difficult to deal with and acupuncture could be a treatment option. This article will look at the condition, what acupuncture is and how it can help.

What is Fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is a condition that many people suffer from but yet very few have actually heard of it. The best way to describe the condition is to look at the symptoms and there are a lot of them. Obviously you may not suffer from all of them but if you have a large proportion of them then you could be suffering from fibromyalgia.

Some of the symptoms you may suffer form are general widespread pain, nausea, dizziness, TMJ, depression, skin problems, morning stiffness, fatigue, sleep problems, chronic headaches, weight gain, anxiety and many others. If you think you may have fibromyalgia it is important to visit a doctor to get a full diagnosis.

It is also important to mention that fibromyalgia is a chronic condition and as such there is no cure. The main course of treatment is to try and relieve the symptoms and for that reason alternative therapies may be a very valuable option for you.

What is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medical practise that works on the theory of energy or Chi. The belief is that most illnesses are causes by an imbalance of energy in the body which is usually caused by a blockage in the flow of energy around the body. The therapy uses needles inserted in the body at specific pressure points in order to help remove this blockage and return the balance in energy in the body. Once balance is obtained then the condition will be removed.

In addition any practitioner will have a full discussion with their client to assess their lifestyle. The pressure points used will vary from person to person depending on their lifestyle and their exact symptoms. This approach will allow the patient to get a tailored treatment that exactly meets their needs.

Acupuncture and Fibromyalgia

The aim of acupuncture is to treat the whole person and not just the symptoms. However the use of acupuncture can have a significant effect on a number of symptoms particularly on the relief of pain. In addition patients who have undergone acupuncture showed a reduction in depression as well as increased energy levels and so reducing the fatigue felt.

There have been a number of studies carried out on the use of acupuncture as a treatment for fibromyalgia and they have all yielded different results. However the majority have shown a reduction in anxiety and fatigue with the results being very similar to anti-depressants. The difference between medications and acupuncture is that there are very few side effects to acupuncture whereas anti-depressants can have severe side effects. The types of side effects people suffer from acupuncture include minor bruising however this heals quickly.

Conclusion

Although there is some debate on acupuncture as pain relief for fibromyalgia there could still be a large number of benefits. Due to the fact there are limited side effects and it could have significant benefits it is definitely worth a try as a treatment. If you suffer from any form of chronic condition that conventional medicine can do little to help then alternative therapies are a good option and could offer significant help to a large number of people.

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This article has been supplied by alternative therapies directory. You can also find more information on the condition and possible treatments on our fibromyalgia page.