Study: Acupuncture helps fibromyalgia pain

SYDNEY, Aug. 24 (UPI) -- A Mayo Clinic study suggests fibromyalgia patients may experience significant symptomatic relief through acupuncture treatments.

"This study shows there is something real about acupuncture and its effects on fibromyalgia," said Dr. David Martin, Mayo Clinic anesthesiologist and the study's lead investigator.

"Our study was performed on patients with moderate to severe fibromyalgia," said Martin. "It's my speculation that if acupuncture works for these patients with recalcitrant fibromyalgia -- where previous treatments had not provided satisfactory relief -- it would likely work for many of the millions of fibromyalgia patients."

He said acupuncture might fill a gap in available therapies for the disease as an addition to what medications already can provide.

Said Martin: "There's not a cure available, so patients are often left somewhat frustrated by continuing pain and fatigue. Acupuncture is one of the few things shown to be effective for these symptoms. It may be particularly attractive to patients who are unable to take medications because of intolerable side effects."

The findings will be presented during this week's 11th World Congress of the International Association for the Study of Pain, being held in Sydney, Australia.