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Living With FibromyalgiaYour Complete Guide To Pain Relief |
Fibromyalgia and Acupuncture
Most fibromyalgia patients spend months, if not years, searching for just the right treatment to curb their chronic pain and other symptoms associated with fibromyalgia. And, more and more of those patients are turning to non-traditional treatments, including acupuncture to relieve their fibromyalgia pain.
While the thought of acupuncture for fibromyalgia may seem unbearable if you’re squeamish or don’t like needles, rest assured it’s not as bad as you’re probably imagining. Acupuncture, which translates to needle piercing, is an ancient Chinese therapy whereby the therapist inserts tiny needles into the skin at certain acupoints and trigger points.
In essence, acupuncture is built upon the idea that our life energy – called qi – runs throughout our bodies in unseen channels, also known as meridians. If our qi becomes disrupted or is somehow blocked, the result is pain. To correct that pain, the therapist stimulates the meridians with acupuncture. With acupuncture fibromyalgia pain can also be alleviated.
Understanding the origin and meaning of acupuncture is an important step in considering it as a potential treatment. With acupuncture, fibromyalgia patients should also understand what to expect from the acupuncture treatment and how it may relieve their symptoms.
To begin, while the needles initially sting when they’re inserted into the skin, that’s about the extent of the pain you’ll feel, except for a slight tingling or aching feeling. Generally, acupuncture sessions last for as long as twenty minutes. With acupuncture fibromyalgia patients may find relief in their symptoms, although as with anything, results vary from patient to patient.
Your initial acupuncture session will generally last longer than ensuing sessions. It’s a time for you and your therapist to get acquainted, and your therapist will want discuss your medical history, including your fibromyalgia with you. With acupuncture, fibromyalgia patients can expect to discuss their many symptoms and other treatments sought with the therapist. Before the therapist places any needles, she’ll check your pulse and also exam your tongue.
By examining the tongue, paying particular attention to the texture and color, the therapist will be able to determine at which acupoints to insert the needles. You’ll have a maximum of 15 needles inserted in the acupoints. Again, rest assured that while you’ll initially feel a sting, you’ll likely only feel a slight tingling feeling when the needles are in place. With acupuncture fibromyalgia patients, however, should be aware of how they may also feel after the treatment.
After acupuncture some fibromyalgia patients feel better than they have in a long time while others feel completely relaxed. Still others may feel sore and tired. It’s not uncommon to be sore after treatments, but with more treatments, your body will get used to the workout its getting and eventually that soreness will dissipate.
You should also be aware that after acupuncture fibromyalgia patients, at least some of them, have experienced side effects including extreme fatigue, headache, nausea and in some cases fainting spells. Additionally, it is imperative that you find a licensed, trained acupuncture therapist as serious side effects – such as bleeding and organ damage – can result from incorrect acupuncture.
However, do not allow fear to sway you from trying acupuncture. According to a 2005 study conducted by the world-renown Mayo Clinic, acupuncture was proven to relieve certain symptoms – including pain, fatigue, and anxiety – of fibromyalgia. However, researchers also found that with the acupuncture fibromyalgia patients still did not see an increase in either their activity levels or their ability to function following their treatments.
Does that mean you should try acupuncture for your fibromyalgia? Of course not. What works for some fibromyalgia patients doesn’t work for others. With acupuncture fibromyalgia patients to some degree have success while others don’t. You may find acupuncture alleviates your pain and fatigue, or you may not. You don’t know unless you try.
Ask your doctor or rheumatologist for recommendations of an experienced, trained acupuncturist. With acupuncture fibromyalgia patients want to ensure they find an acupuncturist who has both the knowledge and the experience to correctly administer the treatment.
If you have health insurance, you’ll want to consult your agent to determine if acupuncture is covered as a treatment for your fibromyalgia. Regardless, you’ll still want to consider acupuncture, if it’s within your budget.
© Health Research Today
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