Hi goodatheart (love the name ) I'm afraid I can't answer your question fully as I'm not allowed acupuncture due to having a blood clotting disease , so that puts pay to that, but I have heard that it has helped some people., though I do have to point out that not one particular treatment works for everyone, we are all of course individuals and our bodies respond differently nearly all the time. If someone had found something that was guaranteed to help everyone with fibro, I'm sure there would be queues the length of the M25 of us all wanting to have it !! - Wish that that could be the case !!
Anyway, on to my experience and again I do stress about it only being my experience, and that is that massage has helped me hugely, if I could afford to have half an hour or so each day, then I would be one very happy bunny. My problem areas are mostly my lower spine where I have had compression fractures (osteoporosis ggrrrr) which I won't let anyone touch, but from my shoulder blades up to the top of my neck and even my head, well they are solid as a rock normally, so massage does help loosen them for me. Sadly until recently I couldn't afford any treatment on a regular basis, but my father died some two years back and just recently some funds from that have come my way and I can now book a course of treatment which was already on my agenda for today, only I read your post and am responding, it is next on my "to do" list !
I hope this may help you in whatever small way and if you want to ask any other questions, do feel free to do so.
Acupuncture - yes it helps me giving temporary relief, something that you would probably need to have regularly alongside other treatments as a combined approach to Fibro. On our website we have a Complementary Therapies Factsheet, here's the link;
Massage - depends what kind you have, some say Myofascial Release or Bowen Therapy helps (I've never tried these!) again you would need to probably have regularly as a combined approach to Fibro. See Complementary Therapies booklet.
The best therapy alongside my medications I've personally tried is a Floatation Tank as a means of Hydrotherapy - as we are all individual there may be some who say Acupuncture or Massage never worked for them so unfortunately it is not a one size fits all. It about what is finding what is good for you personally.
Is Fibro Progressive? Research says it is not a progressive condition and that symptoms can wax & wane over time. We have had this discussion & a poll in the community as many members said they felt it had got worse some also had other conditions which could be a major factor. Please see links;
The poll seemed to suggest that if you have a condition alongside Fibro or you only have a diagnosis of Fibro, it made virtually no difference, as most said they felt it had got worse over time. Or though the column for only Fibro was less than if members had another condition.This left me wondering what the reason might be? Are our healthcare providers addressing Fibro properly?
So I asked the following questions to the community;
Flares, well it's kind of like how long is a piece of string. However, some people can get control of Fibro whereby the flares are less and exercise tolerance increases but it can be further complicated if you have another condition alongside it. The founder of FibroAction wrote the following posts about flares and then about her decrease of symptoms, please read LyndseyMid comments aka Lindsey Middlemiss Founder & Chair of FibroAction in the following links;
It can be difficult to learn to live with Fibro and listen to your body to know how much you can do each day. Learning to do a little each day working up slowly, is something that you learn after a while. Of course, you can't start to pace if you are in too much pain so getting the medication that best suits you and relieves your pain will probably help too.
I hope this has helped answer as best as I possibly can, don't forget to check out our information on our website fibroaction.org
I would consider trying not to worry & stress as this may impact on your symptoms. Please know we are here and will try our best to be supportive.
Acupuncture has already made me feel worse as does all injections and blood tests etc. Injections of vitamins and minerals help in medium.
Massage helps but not long lasting and too expensive to have as often as I need it.
Leaving the country for a Mediterranean climate has really helped but not a cure, have a flare up every time I do back to UK. A mixture of warm weather, sea air, less stress, good healthy food and new friends.
I have had both acupuncture and massage and both made me feel worse afterwards! I cannot say if medications make me feel better as I do not know? If I were to stop my medications then maybe I would feel worse? Too tough to say?
I think we are all different, treatments that help one person have the opposite effect on another... it is a matter of trial and error to find what helps you.
I found acupuncture makes me feel dreadful, but I find reflexology every few months is relaxing.
I find a short walk in the fresh air, yoga, gentle swimming and an awful lot of Pacing myself are what works for me. Xx
I have fibro and lupus having acupuncture regularly does help me, it's also helps keep my sciatica at bay too. When I'm not having a flare I try to walk building it up slowly
Acupuncture doesn't have any real effect besides placebo effects, so in most cases it's not worth the risks.
Massage can be very helpful at relaxing tight muscles, but again the effects are temporary.
I've done the hydrotherapy and I found it to be very helpful. They used a heated pool with bromine, as cold water and chlorine can worsen symptoms.
Exercise is what I've seen to be the most effective treatment, along with medications and a doctor's advice. Unfortunately I can't do much due to the pain and stiffness. Even walking for any reasonable amount of time causes me a lot of pain. I'm looking into bicycling as a lower-impact way to exercise.
As others have said, you just need to experiment and see what treatments help you.
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