Experimental Fibromyalgia Treatments

According to the American Chronic Pain Association, fibromyalgia affects more than 6 million people in the United States. People who have fibromyalgia know a life of chronic pain and fatigue. While there are Food and Drug Administration-approved medications to help with symptoms, there are also experimental options for those who still need relief.

Symptoms and Diagnosis

The symptoms include chronic widespread pain, fatigue, headaches, memory difficulties, inability to perform daily functions and tender points (areas that are painful to the slightest touch). There aren't any medical tests to diagnose fibromyalgia. The American College of Rheumatology suggests that the symptoms should have lasted at least three months and there should be pain in a minimum of 11 out of 18 tender points.

Alternative Medicine

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) keeps track of alternative practices used for fibromyalgia. It also offers reviews of available research, but the amount of research is limited so it's difficult to form solid conclusions. NCCAM's list of alternative therapies for fibromyalgia includes dietary supplementation with magnesium and SAMe, acupuncture, biofeedback, hypnosis, magnet therapy, massage therapy and tai chi. The research available on the use of acupuncture shows mixed results although some evidence supports short-term benefit from electroacupuncture (the needles also transmit an electric current). Studies on massage show some benefit, but it does not last long. There isn't any conclusive evidence that magnesium helps. Research for SAMe is mixed but indicates it may help improve symptoms.

Herbs and Supplements

In addition to magnesium and SAMe, the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) offers a list of herbs that may help: 5-HTP, astragalus, gotu kola, quercetin and skullcap. The UMMC website offers detailed information about what these herbs, how they work and their effectiveness for fibromyalgia.

Experimental Treatments

Dr. Martin Pall, a professor of biochemistry at Washington State University, suggests that an increased level of nitric oxide in the body causes fibromyalgia. His theory is that stressors such as infections, trauma, psychological stress, molds and other toxins trigger the imbalance. His treatment protocol consists of "down regulating" this overload through supplements that stop the nitric oxide cycle.

The guaifenesin treatment was developed by Dr. R. Paul St. Amand. His theory is that fibromyalgia is a genetic disease that results in phosphates building up in the muscles and tendons. Guaifenesin is an expectorant that is commonly found in cough and cold medications. As a treatment for fibromyalgia it is supposed to help get rid of the phosphates, but there is some controversy surrounding this approach and there isn't enough science to support it.

Another experimental treatment is called the glutathione protocol. This was developed by Dr. Richard Van Konynenburg, who believes that people with fibromyalgia are deficient in glutathione. His treatment uses a variety of supplements to improve the function of the methylation cycle, which in turn improves glutathione levels. (See Resources for more detailed information.)

Clinical Trials

As of September 2009 there were 227 studies about fibromyalgia research listed on the ClinicalTrial.gov web site, showing that interest is high to find effective treatment. Some researchers are looking at conventional drugs but quite a few are studying alternative treatments. Tai chi, transcranial-direct current stimulation, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), biofeedback, soy, acupuncture, dance and yoga are just a few of the treatments under study.