Acupuncture works for fibromyalgia, with an international team of authors concluding it showed a significant effect in the management of the condition by reducing pain and depression, and enhancing quality of life. The team was drawn from Saudi Arabia, Spain, the USA, Turkey, Taiwan, Italy and Egypt. Together they analysed the results from 23 randomised controlled trials, covering over 1400 patients.
Compared with controls, acupuncture showed the highest improvement in quality of life, followed by physiotherapy. Acupuncture was also associated with significant reductions in pain and depression. As regards stiffness, neither acupuncture, physiotherapy nor antidepressant medication was significantly different to controls. The authors state “Acupuncture is a preferred option in fibromyalgia patients compared with other ones investigated in our study, as it showed significant improvements in the quality of life, depression, and pain relief.”
(Efficacy of Acupuncture, Intravenous Lidocaine, and Diet in the Management of Patients with Fibromyalgia: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis. Healthcare Journal, 23 June 2022.)