Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Fibromyalgia: Results of an Online Survey.
Andrea R Pfalzgraf, Carroline P Lobo, Vincent Giannetti and 1 others
PMID 32893131WHAT IT FOUND
Most fibromyalgia respondents used complementary and alternative medicine.
In this survey, those using these treatments only reported lower pain than medication-only users, and those using both reported higher quality of life than medication-only users.
Key findings
0165.8% (441) of respondents reported currently using complementary and alternative medicine.
02Respondents grouped as using CAM only reported significantly lower current pain than those using pharmacologic treatment alone.
03Respondents using both pharmacologic and CAM treatments reported significantly higher quality of life than those using pharmacologic treatment alone.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The sample was self-selected and drawn from an online fibromyalgia association, so it mainly represented people who were White, female, and college educated. The survey was cross-sectional and self-reported, so it cannot show that any treatment caused better quality of life or lower pain. CAM was grouped broadly, including vitamins, massage, meditation, and aerobic exercise, so the study cannot separate the effect of any one CAM treatment. All treatment groups still reported moderate pain. Respondents may have given socially desirable answers about treatment use and effectiveness.
Declared interests
The article is listed as supported by NIH extramural research. No other funding or conflict details are supplied.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that CAM lowers pain or improves quality of life. This was a self-selected cross-sectional survey, so it shows association, not cause. It also grouped many different CAM treatments together, so no single treatment can be credited.