Treatment of Fibromyalgia with Formula Acupuncture: Investigation of Needle Placement, Needle Stimulation, and Treatment Frequency

Objectives: The objective of this study was to investigate whether typical acupuncture methods such as nee-dle placement, needle stimulation, and treatment frequency were important factors in fibromyalgia symptom improvement. Design/settings/subjects: A single-site, single-blind, randomized trial of 114 participants diagnosed with fi-bromyalgia for at least 1 year was performed. Intervention: Participants were randomized to one of four treatment groups: (1) T/S needles placed in tra-ditional sites with manual needle stimulation (n 29): (2) T/0 traditional needle location without stimulation (n 30); (3) N/S needles inserted in nontraditional locations that were not thought to be acupuncture sites, with stimulation (n 28); and (4) N/0 nontraditional needle location without stimulation (n 2 7). All groups received treatment once weekly, followed by twice weekly, and finally three times weekly, for a total of 18 treatments. Each increase in frequency was separated by a 2-week washout period. Outcome measures: Pain was assessed by a numerical rating scale, fatigue by the Multi-dimensional Fa-tigue Inventory, and physical function by the Short Form–36. Results: Overall pain improvement was noted with 25%–35 % of subjects having a clinically significant de