50 patients suffering of fibromyalgia were chosen to help this study be completed. These patients tried before conservative treatments, including dietary and herbal supplements without any positive effect on them. The trial was prospective, partially blinded, controlled, and randomized, and the patients had been diagnosed with fibromyalgia by the criteria of the American College of Rheumatology.

It seems that this disease, fibromyalgia, affects 2% of the world's population and women are more exposed to it than men. The causes of this affection are not exactly known, but the certain thing is that fibromyalgia can severely affect the quality of life. Until now there has not been discovered a cure to this illness and the existing treatment is good only for helping the patient manage its symptoms.

The Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) and the Multidimensional Pain Inventory (MPI) were used to measure the fibromyalgia symptoms at the beginning of the study, after treatment and 7 months after treatment too.

From the group of the selected patients, 25 were treated with acupuncture while the other group of 25 patients was given simulated acupuncture. The treatment was performed by two acupuncturists, in six sessions. The whole treatment was made in two to three weeks.

During the study period (P=.01), the researchers helped by FIQ saw that in the first group who got the real acupuncture treatment, the symptoms were not as bad as in the second group. From all the symptoms it seems that fatigue and anxiety were those who improved more. Unfortunately the general activity and physical function levels remained the same.

The best improvements were measured at one month and at month seven the maximum benefits had a fall off. Further tests need to be done in order to allow a more precise determination of acupuncture's duration.

The patients declared that they enjoyed that experience and scientists saw that they tolerated well the treatment. In the first group mild bruising and soreness appeared during the treatment and in both of the groups, immediately after the treatment tiredness or relaxation was present.

Due to the geographic conditions, the subjects that attended this study were mostly women and mostly white.

The best thing is that the study proved that acupuncture can reduced the FIQ score by seven points. Such a result can be obtained only by using tricyclic antidepressants, Prozac, Ultram and acetaminophen.