The use of complementary and alternative therapies for fibromyalgia

This paper reviews fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), and examines the evidence for non-pharmacological interventions for the management of the condition. This follows from a previous systematic review carried out by the authors by focusing on the use of complementary and alternative therapies and their integration within clinical practice. The strength of evidence for the effectiveness of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) interventions for FMS is presented. Best evidence was found to exist for a combined management programme incorporating exercise, education and aspects of CAM therapies. In terms of specific CAM therapies, results were found to be inconclusive due to methodological difficulties, though moderate evidence was found to exist for balneotherapy and acupuncture and some evidence was found for the effectiveness of massage, holistic movement therapies and chiropractic. Implications for service users and practitioners are discussed.