Homeopathy & Fibromyalgia

sufficient basis for discussion

Globally one in five people suffer moderate or strong chronic pain, which renders one in three incapable of leading an independent life and one in four stating pain interferes with or destroys relations with family & friends. Pain relief is classed as a human right by WHO.¹

Meta analysis (2022) found homeopathic Arnica produced small effect (just shy of significance) across a series of 18 placebo-controlled trials and is equal to conventional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the treatment of postoperative pain, swelling, and functional limitations.²

Chronic Pain and homeopathy has been tested via Double-blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trials (RCT) in:³ Cervical spondylitis; Chronic low back pain / Chronic low back pain due to Osteoarthritis(study); Dysmenorrhea; Endometriosis(study); Plantar fasciitis.

---

One in four people with Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD) - constant pain & dysfunction in the jaw and surrounds - meet the diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia (FM), and roughly three in four FM patients also have diagnosable painful TMD.⁴

RCT homeopathy and fibromyalgia;

• Fisher et al, 1989⁵ published by the British Medical Journal showed reduction in tender point pain, and significant improvements in pain and sleep. (Dr. Peter Fisher rheumatologist, homeopath, was personal physician to Queen Liz II for seventeen years.)

• Bell et al., 2004⁶ published in Rheumatology found significant results for tender point pain; quality of life; trend toward less depression in the homeopathic group. FM patients show evidence of EEG pain pathways alterations, the homeopathy group experienced significant EEG increases, with decreases in the placebo group.⁷

• Relton et al., 2009⁸ patients showed reduced pain, fatigue, & tiredness upon waking.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS suggest homoeopathy is better than the control interventions in alleviating the symptoms of fibromyalgia with caveats (2010)⁹ and find sufficient basis for discussing the possible benefits of homeopathy for patients suffering from fibromyalgia (2014).¹⁰

---

1.

2. Gaertner et al., 2021. Is Homeopathic Arnica Effective for Postoperative Recovery? A Meta-analysis of Placebo-Controlled and Active Comparator Trials. Front Surg. Dec 17;8:680930. Available from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8718509/

3.

4. Harper et al., 2021. Impact of Fibromyalgia Phenotype in Temporomandibular Disorders. Pain Med. Sep 8;22(9):2050-2056. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8427347/

5. Fisher et al., 1989. Effect of homeopathic treatment on fibrositis (primary fibromyalgia). BMJ. Aug 5;299(6695):365-6. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1837216/

6. Bell et al., 2004. Improved clinical status in fibromyalgia patients treated with individualized homeopathic remedies versus placebo. Rheumatology (Oxford). May;43(5):577-82. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14734789/

7. Bell et al., 2004. EEG alpha sensitization in individualized homeopathic treatment of fibromyalgia. Int J Neurosci. Sep;114(9):1195-220. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15370183/

8. Relton et al., 2009. Healthcare provided by a homeopath as an adjunct to usual care for Fibromyalgia (FMS): results of a pilot Randomised Controlled Trial. Homeopathy. Apr;98(2):77-82. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19358959/

9. Perry et al., 2010. A systematic review of homoeopathy for the treatment of fibromyalgia. Clin Rheumatol. 2010 May;29(5):457-64. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20099019/

10. Boehm et al., 2014. Homeopathy in the treatment of fibromyalgia-a comprehensive literature-review and meta-analysis. Complement Ther Med. Aug;22(4):731-42. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25146079/