A 52 year old woman came to our clinic having been diagnosed with fibromyalgia. She had pain in her arms, legs, back and neck. She was exhausted and emotionally overwhelmed. This fibromyalgia acupuncture case study describes how acupuncture was able to ease her symptoms and improve her quality of life.
The Problem
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) state, “Fibromyalgia (fi·bro·my·al·gi·a) is a condition that causes pain all over the body (also referred to as widespread pain), sleep problems, fatigue, and often emotional and mental distress. People with fibromyalgia may be more sensitive to pain than people without fibromyalgia. This is called abnormal pain perception processing. Fibromyalgia affects about 4 million US adults, about 2% of the adult population. The cause of fibromyalgia is not known, but it can be effectively treated and managed.” (https://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/basics/fibromyalgia.htm)
The Solution
A large number of research studies and medical institutions, including the Mayo Clinic, have concluded that acupuncture may benefit patients struggling with fibromyalgia. Our own experience at Raleigh Acupuncture supports these views. Acupuncture reduces chronic pain, eases depression, increases energy and reduces the frequency and duration of flares associated with the condition. This fibromyalgia acupuncture case study reviews one such case.
Fibromyalgia Acupuncture Case Study
Our 52 year old patient had been diagnosed with fibromyalgia two years earlier. Her physiatrist (pain doctor) was treating her with regular cortico-steriod injections and medications, which helped reduce her pain levels. But she was still faced with daily pain, debilitating fatigue, depression and flares that would land her in bed for days. Her doctor suggested she try acupuncture to see if it would bring her any additional relief.
The flares were particularly frustrating. She would be managing an activity alright, or so it seemed. For example, she would plan an afternoon of shopping and be doing well enough. After three hours she would feel like her body was going to make it through. But after she got home she would collapse, triggering a three day state of exhaustion requiring constant bed rest. She would have no warning that the activity was too much until it was too late. This is a common symptoms of fibromyalgia.
Treatment Stragegy
After assessing all of her symptoms, feeling her pulse and looking at her tongue, we determined her pattern imbalance to be Spleen Qi Deficiency with Dampness combined with Liver Qi Stagnation. Armed with this diagnosis, we created a treatment plan to strengthen her Spleen Qi, Reduce dampness, and smooth her Liver function to reduce stagnation. These are Chinese medical principals that have been used for thousands of years.
The following acupuncture points were included in her treatments: ST36, SP6, LV3, Li4, SP9, BL18, BL20, BL23, Yintong, SiShenCong. More points were used at different times, but these comprised the key elements of strengthening Spleen Qi, reducing dampness and smoothing Liver function.
After her initial 4 treatments our patient’s pain levels were reduced 30% and energy was improved about the same amount. This encouraged both her and her doctor, and we decided to continue treatment. After 6 more treatments, she was feeling 70% better in all areas, including emotionally.
With her increased strength and reduced pain she was able to start physical therapy to improve her muscle tone and endurance. She continued acupuncture every other week for the next two months, gradually improving over time. Most importantly, her flares decreased. She was able to gain an awareness of her limits, before they were passed. Thus, she was avoiding the days in bed from exhaustion.
Two years later, she has maintained better health, less pain, more physical activity and better emotions. She comes for acupuncture treatment once a month, in conjunction with monthly physical therapy and massage. The combination of support enables her to live a life with much less pain and more normal daily functional activity. She does not need steroid injections any more, and was able to reduce her Western pain medications by 60%.
Next Steps
There is no cure for fibromyalgia yet, but a balanced health care regime can make a world of difference in your quality of life. We hope this fibromyalgia acupuncture case study helped shed some light on how acupuncture works.
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This fibromyalgia acupuncture case study is a typical example of how our fibro patients respond to acupuncture. While acupuncture cannot cure the condition, it can play an instrumental role in it’s management. If you suffer from fibromyalgia or any other kind of chronic pain syndrome, give acupuncture a try. It is a natural, safe therapy that may be able to help you.
What our Clients are Saying
I am a long term patient of Raleigh Acupuncture. Prior to being under their care, I was disabled with terrible fatigue and pain all over my body. I was unable to drive, could only walk less than a block, and had numerous symptoms that mystified doctors. After countless lab work, x-rays, and MRI’s, several doctors including my primary physician told me that there was nothing that could be done. According to them, it was either an illness that was undiagnosable or it was all in my head. When I came to Raleigh Acupuncture, it was a breath of fresh air. They took me very seriously and were not mystified by my condition. They assured me that my condition was treatable and manageable. They treat me with respect, dignity and care; something that I didn’t receive at my primary care doctor. Thanks to their treatments I am now living a normal life. They have restored my health and taught me how to manage my condition. My family and friends can’t believe how much improvement I have made. My son is grateful to have his mommy back! And I am eternally grateful to Raleigh Acupuncture! They truly have the gift of healing!
I would like to thank Raleigh Acupuncture for the wonderful and very helpful treatments. I had been seeing them for my insomnia, which was making excellent progress at the time and has since been cured. On a previous Monday I was involved in a minor traffic accident. Due to the stress of the accident on Tuesday I awoke in a severe flare-up of my fibromyalgia. The pain was so bad I took pain killers and stayed in bed for the day. The following day I had an appointment with Dr. Mark which I wanted to cancel. My husband suggested I keep the appointment and tell Dr. Mark about the pain. After our discussion, he modified the treatment he had planned for me and treated the pain. I came home, took another pain pill and went back to bed. The following morning I woke pain free and have been since, which is about 2 to 3 months. Thanks again Raleigh Acupuncture!
I still am forever in your debt for helping me through the Lymes recovery. My body pain and fatigue were overwhelming before getting acupuncture. I still tell everyone today that I am 100% positive that my recovery was a direct result of your expert care. Truly. I have very little residual effects from the disease that I can easily live with. So again,thank you not only for your amazing skills, but for the compassion and kindness that you showed me during that time.
All of my joints were hurting. I’ve got fibromyalgia and it effects me by making my joints hurt. The pain would move around from place to place, first the hip, the next day the shoulder, then the knee, etc. The practitioner at Raleigh Acupuncture explained that the best way to treat my kind of moving joint pain was to treat me holistically. Instead of treating the hip one day, the shoulder the next, they treated the root of the pain. They said this type of treatment would also improve my mood and my sleep. Right on all counts. I started feeling better after the second treatment. It’s like all of the joints just settled down and stopped giving me trouble. I had less flares and the intensity of the pain went way down. My sleep is better, not just because I have less pain. I’m more relaxed and less stressed. I’ve made this treatment a regular part of my life. I’m very grateful.
I’ve been going to Raleigh Acupuncture for 4+ years. I first went to them because I was having problems with my monthly period lasting two weeks or more, hot flashes that were extreme, and all over pain from fibromyalgia, which is a chronic pain condition. I was in a state of depression and despair, unable to work, or do things I love to do, like working in my yard. On a good day, I could perform simple household chores, perhaps a little yoga, and that was all. My first few visits brought relief from hot flashes, terrible neck pain, and wrap-around pain in my ribs that restricted my ability to breathe comfortably. I felt this was a miracle as I had suffered for many years, and had no idea it was so easily remedied. This miraculous ride continued as I took Chinese herbs for aiding my menopausal symptoms, sinus problems, anxiety, and general pain. As time went on I began to depend on Raleigh Acupuncture for psychological strengthening as well. Nowhere else have I found anyone that really listens to what I have to say without thinking I was crazy. Today, as I sit and reflect, I am about to graduate from an intense two year program for Landscape Architecture Technology. I took a huge leap when I signed up for full-time classes when I was 50 years old. I have enjoyed great success, making one B in 64 credit hours, the rest were A’s! In February of 2011, I was in a car accident where I was sandwiched between a van and a school bus. I was able to continue school and finish the semester, I believe because of my acupuncture treatments. I contribute most of my academic success, emotional well-being, and diminished pain to Raleigh Acupuncture.