Acupuncture is more effective than control treatment in alleviating pain and improving well-being in both the short- and long-term in patients with fibromyalgia.
This meta-analysis included 12 studies with 715 participants comparing the effects of real acupuncture with control intervention. The results indicated that acupuncture could effectively relieve pain and improve well-being in patients with FM, with both short - and long-term benefits. However, acupuncture had no effect on fatigue, sleep, physical function, and stiffness compared with control treatment. The subgroup analysis indicated that the real acupuncture group produced more analgesic effects than the control group, with different number of sessions, types of acupuncture, and stimulation. In addition, acupuncture was not associated with serious reactions and had a reliable safety profile.
