Abstract

In a recent systematic review of the use of acupuncture for fibromyalgia,¹ the authors conclude that “acupuncture cannot be recommended for fibromyalgia.” I take issue with this broad conclusion on several counts. First, they found only five eligible studies and of those, their own table reports positive results in four, including outcomes such as decreases in pain and tender points, improved Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire, and other condition-related parameters compared with controls. Secondly, a number of controls actually involved needling “sham” acupuncture points located some distance away from the true meridian points. If one has ever treated a fibromyalgia patient, he or she knows they are hypersensitive to pain (“allodynia”), and it might be suspected that such sham needling was anything but innocuous. This addresses a major issue in acupuncture research in general, that of the control condition, which has more recently been dealt with by retractable, nonpenetrating sham needles