Nikolovska, Lence and Radinski, Bojan (2020) Treatment of patients with fibromyalgia with methods of traditional Chinese medicine. International Journal Scientific Papers, 38 (4). pp. 937-943. ISSN 1857-923X
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TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH FIBROMYALGIA WITH METHODS OF TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE.pdf Download (239kB) | Preview |
Abstract
Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a rheumatic disorder characterized by chronic, diffuse and widespread musculoskeletal pain, with unknown pathogenesis and no defined treatment protocol.
The treatment of fibromyalgia is multidisciplinary and includes medication, physical therapy, acupressure / acupuncture at sensitive points, massage and relaxation techniques. Long-term stress is thought to be an impetus for the disease. Among the recommended treatments, acupuncture (for its analgesic effects) is an effective option for reducing the pain sensitivity and improving quality of life. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate whether acupuncture at tender points could effectively manage FMS.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture performed at tender points for the management of FMS symptoms.
Methods of research: The research was conducted in the Recreation Center at the University "Goce Delcev" - Stip, for a period of 2 months. The study included 13 patients (9 women and 4 men) with previously diagnosed Fibromyalgia Syndrome who visit the center for treatment of acute and chronic pain. Each patient was asked for consent to participate in the study.
Patients were referred for treatment with acupunctureat their own request, after their failure of treatment with conservative medical treatments.
Тreatment of fibromyalgia included 8 weeks of acupuncture treatment and lifestyle change recommendations. The lifestyle changes recommendations focused on nutrition, sleep, physical activity, walking and strategies for managing stress and pain. We used the acupuncture protocol for fibromyalgia on 13 fibromyalgia patients. The points were selected according to Chinese medicine theory.
Results: Before starting treatment, each patient has been given a detailed examination with various functional tests. Initial assessment includes Pressure algometer measurements for pain tolerance.
Each patient also fills out Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ). The same tests are done at the end of treatment. The results are shown in Tables.
The present study demonstrated a statistically significant difference before treatment and after 8 weeks of acupuncture at tender points. The results demonstrated, not only a reduction in pain threshold sensitivity, but also an improvement in the quality of life, which were identified through the FIQ and VAS for pain. These results suggest that acupuncture is capable of providing improvement that is additional to the improvement provided by standard medication in the treatment of FMS.
Conclusion: The results of this study show that acupuncture at tender points may be an effective tool for treating the symptoms of FMS, improving overall well-being by reducing pain sensitivity and improving quality of life. These effects were possibly achieved through balancing the meridians of the lung, bladder, gall bladder, and triple burner, which were fueled by points that coincided with the treated tender points.
Keywords: fibromyalgia, pain, acupuncture, sensitive points.
Field: Medical Sciences
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Subjects: | Medical and Health Sciences > Other medical sciences |
| Divisions: | Faculty of Medical Science |
| Depositing User: | Lence Nikolovska |
| Date Deposited: | 21 Apr 2020 10:16 |
| Last Modified: | 21 Apr 2020 10:16 |
| URI: | https://eprints.ugd.edu.mk/id/eprint/23983 |
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