Trial of Acupuncture in the Treatment of Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a medical condition characterized by musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances and depression. It affects population at a socioeconomically active age and represents a burden for the patients and the health care system due to its personal and functional implications. At this moment, there is no completely effective treatment for fibromyalgia, and acupuncture has been a promising alternative. This trial aims to evaluate if addition of acupuncture to standard care represents an improvement in comparison with standard care only. Thus, patients enrolled in this trial will be randomly allocated into one of two groups: group A, who besides standard treatment will receive 12 sessions of acupuncture; and group B, who will receive standard care with monthly orientation sessions for the same period. Patients will be evaluated at baseline, after completion of acupuncture treatment or orientation, and after an additional 12-week follow up. Evaluation will be based on diaries of pain and medication, and standard scales of pain, quality of life and disability.