Heal Thyself—New Hope for Fibromyalgia

The 6 million Americans, 67 percent of them women, who suffer from fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) have waited on pins and needles for this news: Acupuncture researchers at Southern California University of Health Sciences have pilot-tested a promising new treatment that works for FMS, without any apparent side effects. The researchers, who located 17 acupoints for the disease, treated the points twice a week for eight weeks (the gold standard for treatment frequency in ancient China). By study’s end, the volunteers experienced an average drop in the disorder’s signature symptoms—chronic pain, fatigue, and unrefreshing sleep—and none of the weight gain, liver problems, mood changes, and addiction problems the typically prescribed drugs often trigger.

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