Complementary and alternative medicine treatments such as acupuncture plus massage and umbilical acupuncture effectively alleviate pain and improve mood and sleep quality in fibromyalgia patients.
This study was conducted as a systematic review and it involved extracting data from both English and Chinese databases, covering studies up till April 15, 2023. The search was aimed at prospective controlled trials focusing on the effects of complementary and alternative medicine therapies on fibromyalgia patients. The researchers embarked on a meticulous statistical analysis using mean values and standard deviations, while also evaluating the quality of the literature and any potential biases.
The review found that out of 41 articles studied, involving 2877 patients with fibromyalgia and 20 different interventions, a combination of acupuncture and massage, as well as umbilical acupuncture notably reduced pain symptoms. Additionally, abdominal acupuncture and electroacupuncture were beneficial in improving mood and sleep quality among these patients. The analysis of these tests showed that these therapies offered the most effective relief and overall, the complementary and alternative medicine therapies were safe for fibromyalgia patients.
