Acupuncture for Fibromyalgia Symptom Treatment

If you have just been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, you have probably learned that there is no cure, but you may be wondering what to do next. Most likely, you went to a doctor hoping for a solution to the pain that has been troubling you, and now you’ve found out that they cannot truly fix it and that you continue to experience these symptoms for the rest of your life. It can truly be a frightening and stressful experience. However, you do have options. Let’s explore the condition itself as well as the choices you’ll have for treatment, including alternative medicine.

What is Fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain disorder. It involves pain all over the body, within the muscles and bones, as well as fatigue and memory and mood problems. Doctors are still not entirely sure what causes the condition. It does seem to run in families, and can be triggered by some illnesses or by intense trauma. The result is that the individual has increased levels of the chemicals that transmit pain signals, and that the brain will overreact to any pain signals it receives. This means that pains that would barely register to most people are agonising to those with fibromyalgia. These changes in the brain also account for the memory and mood issues associated with the disorder.

Treatment Options

Modern medicine does not have many answers when it comes to fibromyalgia. There is no cure, but individuals can work with their physicians to develop a plan to treat the symptoms. Most individuals with fibromyalgia use some kind of pain relievers to help with their pain. Some also take antidepressants to deal with fatigue and aid in sleeping. Sleep is particularly important to help reduces other symptoms. Many of the other strategies are typical for anyone with a chronic condition. Some days will be better than others, so patients will be advised not to overextend themselves on good days and not to feel bad for needing rest on bad ones. A lot of significance is placed on attitude as well as physical well-being.

Alternative medicine also offers some choices. Since modern medicine does not know exactly how fibromyalgia works, it is more willing to concede that alternative treatments, particularly acupuncture, may help. A vast number of studies suggests that acupuncture for fibromyalgia is effective, and it can aid in managing the symptoms. The good thing about acupuncture is that it actually is able to address several of the different areas affected by fibromyalgia. Not only does it help reduce pain, but it can also help with managing the stress of having a chronic condition, which also usually helps patients reduce their flare-ups. Depression and anxiety, two other conditions that acupuncture seems to assist with, are also associated with fibromyalgia. Furthermore, acupuncture can easily be used alongside other treatments, since it does not involve any drugs to react poorly with.

If you have just been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, you are probably only beginning to create a plan to manage your symptoms. If you have lived with the condition for a while, you may be hoping there is something more you can do for yourself. Either way, studies suggest that including acupuncture in your treatment regimen could help you, and in particular may be a good option.

If you live in York & you’d like help to ease fibromyalgia symptoms, contact Tiziana today to schedule an acupuncture appointment.