When conventional medicine fails — as it often does for fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome — you have to start looking at what else is out there. When you’re trying to learn about complementary/alternative medicine, known as CAM, it’s tough. Which information is reliable? Which studies are of high enough quality to matter?
A new survey by a highly respected team of researchers aimed to help us identify which CAM treatments are most likely to help us, in order to determine where researchers should put their efforts. Looking through the available research, they did report that the overall quality was less than ideal. However, they determined that these treatments are the most promising prospects:
- Acupuncture
- Several types of meditative practice
- Supplements: magnesium, carnitine, SAM-e
I’ve tried all of those except for SAM-e, and they’ve all helped me improve tremendously. They’re only part of my treatment/management regimen, along with other supplements, lifestyle changes, massage, etc., but I wouldn’t give any one of them up. I’ve also heard from a lot of people that SAM-e is great. Of course, we’re all different, but it helps to know which way the research is leaning.
In another recent survey specifically on acupuncture for fibromyalgia, researchers concluded that acupuncture can provide temporary pain relief, but that results were too inconsistent to recommend it for everyone.
Which of these treatments have you tried? What has worked, and what hasn’t? Have other CAM treatments helped you? Leave your comments below!
Learn more or join the conversation!
NEWSLETTER | FORUM | BIO | TWITTER | FACEBOOK
Photo © Mel Yates/Getty Images
Alternative Treatments for Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome originally appeared on About.com Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome on Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 at 06:00:25.
Permalink | Comment | Email this
