Date of Award
2019
Degree Type
Selective Evidence-Based Medicine Review
Degree Name
Master of Science in Health Sciences - Physician Assistant
Department
Physician Assistant Studies
Department Chair
Laura Levy, DHSc, PA-C
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not acupuncture is an effective treatment for alleviating fibromyalgia.
STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review of three randomized controlled trials published in 2014, 2016, and 2017.
DATA SOURCES: Data sources for this review were articles published in peer-reviewed journals using PubMed Database.
OUTCOME(S) MEASURED: The outcome measured was the patients decrease in pain intensity through the use of the visual analog scale.
RESULTS: Stival et al. (2014) found that the change in pain for patients who received true acupuncture to be statistically significant with a p-value of 0.0001. Ugurle et al. (2017) also found that the group who received true acupuncture to have a statistically significant p-value of < 0.001. Vas et al. (2016) found that participants who received true acupuncture over the course of the study also had a significant p-value of <0.01.
CONCLUSIONS: The results of these three trials were all promising, but further research is warranted to assess the long-term benefits of using acupuncture for alleviating fibromyalgia.
Recommended Citation
Beckmon-Forrester, Brittney, "Is Acupuncture An Effective Treatment For Alleviating Fibromyalgia?" (2019). PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship. 449.
https://digitalcommons.pcom.edu/pa_systematic_reviews/449