Shiatsu as a therapeutic alternative in the treatment of fibromyalgia

Abstract

Fibromyalgia is a syndrome characterized by diffuse neuromuscular pains and by the presence of painful spots in certain anatomically determined regions, causing sleep disorder and fatigue on patient. This study aimed to search for information in literature about the benefits of shiatsu for patients suffering from fibromyalgia. Thus, an exploratory and bibliographical investigation was done in order to address developed researches, highlighting clinical and occupational aspects. Even though it is a well-known disease for a long time, researches on fibromyalgia have been conducted only in the last three decades and, so a lot still needs to be learnt about its etiology and there is no known effective treatment. This way, shiatsu is one of the alternatives used as a therapeutic resource to reduce the symptoms of fibromyalgia. This technique is applied by pressing thumbs and hand palms on points directly linked to internal organs, allowing energy to circulate freely, providing relaxation, wellness and organic functions equilibrium. The treatment requires a greater accuracy and a holistic approach in order to complete the individual as a whole. The entire knowledge on fibromyalgia requires a comprehensive assessment about pain, function and psychosocial context. However it is important to evaluate the severity of symptoms like fatigue, sleep disorder, mood disorder. In addition, the
impact of these symptoms on quality of life of the patient may be broader factors related to this disease. Thus, the information found in literature allowed us to verify that fibromyalgia syndrome has been examined according to the medical procedures as an unknown cause concept, being shiatsu an option of a complementary and non-invasive method in the treatment of fibromyalgia.