Pressure pain threshold and perceived impact of pain differentially predict short-term and long-term pain reduction following acupuncture in fibromyalgia.
10.1016/j.joim.2025.01.005
- Author:
Anne E MURPHY
1
;
Anne AREWASIKPORN
2
;
Lisa TAYLOR-SWANSON
3
;
David A WILLIAMS
2
;
Richard E HARRIS
4
Author Information
1. Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. Electronic address: aemurph@med.umich.edu.
2. Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
3. College of Nursing, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
4. Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute, School of Medicine, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA 92617, USA; Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Care, School of Medicine, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA 92617, USA.
- Publication Type:Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
- Keywords:
Acupuncture;
Chronic pain;
Fibromyalgia
- MeSH:
Adult;
Female;
Humans;
Male;
Middle Aged;
Acupuncture Therapy;
Fibromyalgia/therapy*;
Pain Management/methods*;
Pain Measurement/statistics & numerical data*;
Pain Threshold/physiology*;
Pressure;
Treatment Outcome;
Longitudinal Studies
- From:
Journal of Integrative Medicine
2025;23(2):152-158
- CountryChina
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVE:Acupuncture has demonstrated efficacy as a treatment for fibromyalgia; however, predictors of short- and long-term analgesic response in this population are not well understood.
METHODS:This manuscript describes a secondary analysis of a single-center, blinded, sham-controlled, randomized longitudinal acupuncture clinical trial in fibromyalgia. Baseline characterization included pressure pain threshold and pain interference, while residualized change in pain intensity from baseline to follow-up served as the primary outcome measure. Participants were randomized into groups that received verum (n = 36) or sham (n = 29) acupuncture treatment over a 12-week period (18 treatments) and were followed for 37 weeks from the initiation of treatment.
RESULTS:Lower pressure pain thresholds at baseline were associated with greater analgesia only in the sham treatment group immediately following treatment, while those with higher pressure pain thresholds had greater analgesia with verum treatment (B = -13.43, P = 0.001). Additionally, greater perceived impact of pain at baseline was predictive of greater short-term analgesia irrespective of treatment. Pressure pain threshold was not found to be predictive of long-term differential treatment response (B = -1.71, P = 0.66). There was a significant difference in the relationship between perceived impact of pain at baseline and subsequent long-term analgesia between groups where those with greater perceived impact of pain displayed improved long-term analgesia for verum acupuncture compared to the sham group (B = -11.37, P = 0.004).
CONCLUSION:Our results support the use of a self-reported pain outcome in predicting long-term analgesia following acupuncture in fibromyalgia. Please cite this article as: Murphy AE, Arewasikporn A, Taylor-Swanson L, Williams DA, Harris RE. Pressure pain threshold and perceived impact of pain differentially predict short-term and long-term pain reduction following acupuncture in fibromyalgia. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(2): 152-158.
