• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.46-53
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• 2020

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to report the effects of Korean medicine therapy on patients with fibromyalgia syndrome. Methods : In this study, we used Korean medicine treatments, including acupuncture, bee venom therapy, chuna manual therapy, and others, to treat hospitalized patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia syndrome. Improvements in clinical symptoms were evaluated using a numeric rating scale (NRS), the short form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ), and changes in the number of tender points. Results : After Korean medicine treatment, the NRS scores reduced from 10 to 7 (Patient 1) and from 10 to 5 (Patient 2). The SF-MPQ scores decreased from 33 to 26 (Patient 1) and from 25 to 18 (Patient 2). The number of tender points reduced from 18 to 15 (Patient 1) and from 12 to 11 (Patient 2). Conclusions : In both patients, the NRS scores, SF-MPQ scores, and number of tender points significantly improved. The results suggest that Korean medicine treatments, including acupuncture, bee venom therapy, chuna manual therapy, and others, may be effective for treating fibromyalgia syndrome.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.10-19
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• 2011

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a protocol of cryotherapy and Tai Chi on women with Fibrolmyalgia Syndrome. Methods: The study design was a pretest and posttest quasi-experimental, nonrandom assignment. The subjects were 48 outpatients with a diagnosis of fibromyalgia based on the American College of Rheumatology Standards. The setting was a University Medical Center in S city. The protocol was self administered ten times a week, for a two week period resulting in twenty treatments. Results: A protocol of cryotherapy and Tai Chi self-help program showed significant improvement in the fibromyalgia impact as measured by reports of physical impairment, feeing good, number of missed work days, ability to perform work, reports of pain, fatigue, rest, stiffness, anxiety and depression as reported by the comparison group (p<.001). No significant differences between the two regarding in reports of the tender points (p=.062). Conclusion: The results suggested that a protocol of cryotherapy and Tai Chi self-help program may be a promising multidisciplinary strategy for fibromyalgia patients.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.323-333
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• 2024

Objectives: This case report describes the effect of complex Korean medical treatment on the clinical symptoms of a patient with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). Methods: A 60-year-old female woman diagnosed with FMS in 2015 was prescribed Youngsunjaetong-em-hap-Sopunghwalhyeol-tang from 2 May 2023 to 20 June 2023 to reduce excessive sweating and widespread pain. With the same objective, acupuncture, moxibustion, and cupping treatment were administered from 23 May 2023 to 11 June 2023. Changes in excessive sweating and widespread pain were recorded 2 months post-treatment. Results: Treatment with Youngsunjaetong-em-hap-Sopunghwalhyeol-tang led to a considerable improvement in clinical symptoms after 2 months, especially excessive sweating and widespread pain compared to the baseline parameters of the first visit. In addition, no adverse effects, such as liver injury or decreased kidney function, were recorded during the herbal medicine treatment. Conclusion: This case report points to the use of complex Korean medical treatment as a therapeutic option for the management of FMS.

• The Journal of Korea CHUNA Manual Medicine
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.99-109
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• 2003

Dr. Lawrence H Jones developed innovative approach for the treatment of neuromuscular and musculo-skeletal disorders such as fibromyalgia, myofacial pain syndrome, any other muscle pain. This technique is called Strain/Counterstrain technique which uses effect of neuromuscular reflex for treatment of strain. First, Relieving spinal or other joint pain by passively putting the joint into its position of greatest comfort; secondly relieving pain by reduction and arrest of the continuing inappropriate proprioceptor activity. This was accomplished by markedly shortening the muscle that contains the malfunctioning muscle spindle by applying. mild strain to its antagonists. In other words, the inappropriate strain reflex is inhibited by application of counterstrain. Many other techniques have been developed for treating of muscle pain due to somatic dysfunction, but we want to introduce you to strain/counterstrain technique because this is basic concept and theory of Chum therapy for controling motor system.

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2003

Myofascial pain이나 filbrbomyalgia 등에 의한 만성 견관절통증은 보존적 치료로 치료적인 효과를 기대할 수 있는 질환이며, 수술적 치료가 필요한 다른 질환과의 감별을 요한다. 만성적인 견관절 동통의 치료는 증상의 원인과 악화요인을 확인하고 실질적으로 도움이 될 수 있는 적절한 치료법을, 단계적으로 적용하는 것이 효과적이며. 환자와 teamwork을 형성하여, 환자가 병증에 대해 충분히 이해하고 안심할 수 있도록 도와주는 것이 무엇보다 중요하다.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.347-362
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• 2021

Purpose: This study developed a cognitive behavioral therapy program aimed at altering the physical condition, emotions, and behaviors of fibromyalgia patients, and confirmed the program's clinical applicability. The program was developed by analyzing previous studies conducting in-depth interviews with fibromyalgia patients, drawing on cognitive behavior theory to establish the program contents, recruiting experts to test its validity, and conducting a preliminary survey. Methods: To confirm the program's effect, this study used a randomized controlled trial design. The participants were outpatients diagnosed with fibromyalgia in Dong-A University Hospital, Busan. The 30 patients in the experimental group took part in the program, which comprised 8 sessions (90 to 120 minutes) based on cognitive behavior theory, delivered over 8 weeks. Hypothesis testing was carried out using the repeated measures ANOVA. Results: The analysis revealed significant differences between the experimental and control groups in positive automatic thoughts, pain, fatigue, depression, and interpersonal relationships. However, there was no significant difference between the groups in terms of sleep disorders and negative automatic thoughts. Conclusion: This program is a positive effect on physical condition, emotions, and behaviors. It is thus expected to be used to help fibromyalgia patients improve their disease conditions.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.107-118
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• 2024

Nociplastic pain by the "International Association for the Study of Pain" is defined as pain that arises from altered nociception despite no clear evidence of nociceptive or neuropathic pain. Augmented central nervous system pain and sensory processing with altered pain modulation are suggested to be the mechanism of nociplastic pain. Clinical criteria for possible nociplastic pain affecting somatic structures include chronic regional pain and evoked pain hypersensitivity including allodynia with after-sensation. In addition to possible nociplastic pain, clinical criteria for probable nociplastic pain are pain hypersensitivity in the region of pain to non-noxious stimuli and presence of comorbidity such as generalized symptoms with sleep disturbance, fatigue, or cognitive problems with hypersensitivity of special senses. Criteria for definitive nociplastic pain is not determined yet. Eight specific disorders related to central sensitization are suggested to be restless leg syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, temporomandibular disorder, migraine or tension headache, irritable bowel syndrome, multiple chemical sensitivities, and whiplash injury; non-specific emotional disorders related to central sensitization include anxiety or panic attack and depression. These central sensitization pain syndromes are overlapped to previous functional pain syndromes which are unlike organic pain syndromes and have emotional components. Therefore, nociplastic pain can be understood as chronic altered nociception related to central sensitization including both sensory components with nociceptive and/or neuropathic pain and emotional components. Nociplastic pain may be developed to explain unexplained chronic pain beyond tissue damage or pathology regardless of its origin from nociceptive, neuropathic, emotional, or mixed pain components.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.147-154
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• 2018

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a contested illness with ill-defined boundaries. There is no clearly defined cut-point that separates FM from non-FM. Diagnosis of FM has been faced with several challenges that occur, including patients' health care-seeking behavior, symptoms recognition, and FM labeling by physicians. This review focuses on important but less visible factors that have a profound influence on under- or over-diagnosis of FM. FM shows different phenotypes and disease expression in patients and even in one patient over time. Psychosocial and cultural factors seem to be a contemporary ferment in FM which play a major role in physician diagnosis even more than having severe symptom levels in FM patients. Although the FM criteria are the only current methods which can be used for classification of FM patients in surveys, research, and clinical settings, there are several key pieces missing in the fibromyalgia diagnostic puzzle, such as invalidation, psychosocial factors, and heterogeneous disease expression. Regarding the complex nature of FM, as well as the arbitrary and illusory constructs of the existing FM criteria, FM diagnosis frequently fails to provide a clinical diagnosis fit to reality. A physicians' judgment, obtained in real communicative environments with patients, beyond the existing constructional scores, seems the only reliable way for more valid diagnoses. It plays a pivotal role in the meaning and conceptualization of symptoms and psychosocial factors, making diagnoses and labeling of FM. It is better to see FM as a whole, not as a medical specialty or constructional scores.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.250-257
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• 2017

Vitamin D is a cofactor responsible for autoimmune disorders. There is no agreement in the studies investigating the association between vitamin D and fibromyalgia. This study aims to combine the conflicting results of the primary studies which compared these patients with control groups regarding the serum concentration of vitamin D. This meta-analysis has been designed based on PRISMA guidelines. Relevant keywords were searched in PubMed, Science direct, Scopus, Cochrane, and Google scholar and primary studies were selected. After screening the eligible studies according to inclusion/exclusion criteria, we investigated the risk of bias in the selected studies and also the heterogeneity between the primary results using Cochrane (Q) and I-squared ($I^2$) indices. The primary results were combined using inverse variance method and Cohen statistics as well as a random effects model. Publication bias was assessed using Egger test. Sensitivity analysis was applied to investigate the influence of each primary study on the final result of the meta-analysis. Suspected factors in the heterogeneity were assessed using meta-regression models. We entered 12 eligible studies in the meta-analysis including 851 cases compared with 862 controls. The standardized mean difference of Vitamin D between the two groups was -0.56 (95% confidence interval: -1.05, -0.08). Our meta-analysis showed that vitamin D serum levels of patients with fibromyalgia was significantly lower than that of control group.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.341-351
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• 2014

Purpose : In this study, the medication effects of Milnacipran and Pregabalin, as well known as fibromyalgia treatment medicine, in fibromyalgia syndrome patients were compared through the change of BOLD signal in pain related functional MRI. Materials and Methods: Twenty fibromyalgia syndrome patients were enrolled in this study and they were separated into two groups according to the treatment medicine: 10 Milnacipran (MLN) treatment group and 7 Pregabalin (PGB) treatment group. For accurate diagnosis, all patients underwent several clinical tests. Pre-treated and post-treated fMRI image with block-designed pressure-pain stimulation for each group were obtained to conduct the statistical analysis of paired t-test and two sample t-test. All statistical significant level was less than 0.05. Results: In clinical tests, the clinical scores of the two groups were not significantly different at pre-treatment stage. But, PGB treatment group had lower Widespread Pain Index (WPI) and Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI) score than those of MLN treatment group at post-treatment stage. In functional image analysis, BOLD signal of PGB treatment group was higher BOLD signal at several regions including anterior cingulate and insula than MLN treatment group at post-treatment stage. Also, paired t-test values of the BOLD signal in MLN group decreased in several regions including insula and thalamus as known as 'pain network'. In contrast, size and number of regions in which the BOLD signal decreased in PGB treatment group were smaller than those of MLN treatment group. Conclusion: This study showed that MLN group and PGB group have different medication effects. It is not surprising that MLN and PGB have not the same therapeutic effects since these two drugs have different medicinal mechanisms such as antidepressants and anti-seizure medication, respectively, and different detailed target of fibromyalgia syndrome treatment. Therefore, it is difficult to say which medicine will work better in this study.