Acupuncture for symptoms of Gaucher disease

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of acupuncture on bone/joint pain, headache and fatigue, as well as quality of life in patients with Gaucher disease (GD), within the framework of an integrated treatment programme.

Patients with GD suffering from any of the above symptoms were offered a series of 10-12 weekly acupuncture treatment sessions. Prior to initiation of treatment, participants were asked to score the severity of pain, as well as to complete the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue measure (FACIT-F) and the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) Short-Form (SF) questionnaire. These tools were evaluated again at the end of the treatment period.

A total of 12 patients were evaluated. While the only pain outcome reduced by acupuncture was knee pain, a significant improvement was observed with respect to nearly all FACIT-Fatigue measures, including the Physical Well Being (PWB) subscales and the SF-12 Physical Composite Score (PCS), though not for the Mental Composite Score (MCS). Patients reported satisfaction with the treatment process, and no significant side effects were reported.

Acupuncture may play a beneficial role for patients with GD when used in conjunction with conventional therapy, reducing fatigue and improving physical function. The preliminary finding of this observational study should encourage further research.