Acupuncture in the treatment of fibromyalgia: what has changed in the last 10 years?

Abstract

In the last 10 years, fibromyalgia diagnosis has been transformed by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) classification criteria. These changes have significantly impacted outcomes in treatment recommendations, including many non-pharmacological therapies, notably acupuncture. This review presents what has changed on acupuncture recommendations for the treatment of fibromyalgia after alterations performed by ACR classification criteria. A literature search was performed to identify published studies between January 01, 2008 and June 30, 2018. Published studies were identified using an initial search of PubMed database. We searched for trials published using the terms “fibromyalgia acupuncture”. We used only full-text articles available online and related to the objective of this review. The last ACR’s criteria [2010] have included the evaluation of other symptoms of fibromyalgia besides pain. New diagnostic and therapeutic technologies have also enabled the publishing of new trials, scientifically demonstrating the effectiveness of acupuncture in patients with the fibromyalgia syndrome. It is concluded that acupuncture is currently considered a scientifically recommended treatment for fibromyalgia.