Association of Herbal supplement usage to self-reported diagnosis of Fibromyalgia in a national sample

Background: Fibromyalgia (FM) is potentially disabling chronic pain syndrome of unknown etiology. Currently, there is no consensus regarding effective treatment, although recent research suggests complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies, including herbal supplements, may be helpful in alleviating pain.  However, little is known regarding herbal supplement use in those with FM.  In this study, we investigated the association between prior use of herbal supplements and FM diagnosis in a weighted national sample.

Methods: Study participants were 22,801 adults drawn from the 2007 National Health Interview Survey (N= 251 FM cases, 22,550 FM-free adults). Participants completed a comprehensive health survey; herbal supplement use and medical history, including diagnosis of FM, was ascertained via self-report. We used logistic regression to assess the independent association of FM diagnosis to prior herbal supplement usage. 

Results: Respondents with FM were significantly more likely to report ever using an herbal supplement compared to those without FM after adjusting for demographics, lifestyle characteristics, and other factors (OR=3.1,95% CI 2.2,4.5).  FM was also associated with consumption of specific supplements, including cranberry, echinacea, goldenseal, and grapeseed extract. Although 56.4% of those with FM had previously used an herbal supplement, only 3.2% reported using herbal supplements specifically for FM. 

Conclusions: Adults with FM are significantly more likely to have used herbal supplements, although few reported using supplements specifically to manage their FM.  Further research is needed to confirm these findings, and to determine the patterns and determinants of herbal supplement use in patients with FM and other chronic pain syndromes.