WebMD's Best Alternative Treatments for Fibromyalgia

For the full article, click here:

http://www.webmd.com/fibromyalgia/features/alternative-treatments-for-fibromyalgia?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Excerpts:

Supplements including:
- Sam-e (I am taking and yes it improves my mood, and probably contributes to helping with pain and sleep too)
- Melatonin (I have tried. eh.)
- Magnesium (yes, I am taking and it makes me feel better, Ultra-Mag)
- 5-HTP (next on my list to try)
- Acupuncture (also next on my list to try, I have read several articles on how this has helped with fibro, migraines, sleep, arthritis etc. I am very intrigued)
- Massage (yes, once or twice a month, soft massages, good for my overall well being :)

“It would be great if we could just give people a pill to fix their fibromyalgia,” says Mark J. Pellegrino, MD, of Ohio Pain and Rehabilitation Specialists and author of 13 books on fibromyalgia. “But there’s no magic pill. A balanced approach is important.”

For some people with fibromyalgia, that balanced approach includes trying complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in addition to medication, exercise, and physical therapy.
There hasn’t been a lot of formal research on the effectiveness of alternative treatments for fibromyalgia. But many people with fibromyalgia and some doctors believe some alternative treatments can help ease pain, fatigue, and other symptoms, especially when combined with conventional approaches.

Pellegrino, who has fibromyalgia and is a physician speaker for pharmaceutical companies that make medications used to treat fibromyalgia, considers the “three pillars of treatment” to be medicine, physical therapy, and supplements. He says that some supplements, along with other treatments and lifestyle changes, have helped his patients experience less pain, more energy, and better sleep.

“When it comes to supplements, we’re learning more and more,” he tells WebMD. “But unlike drugs, we don’t have rigorous research. It’s important for a person with fibromyalgia to work with a doctor who is knowledgeable about supplements.”