Neuroimaging Approaches to Deconstructing Acupuncture for Chronic Pain

Inclusion Criteria for Fibromyalgia Participants * Have self-reported FM symptoms for at least one year and also meet the Wolfe et al 2011 criteria for Fibromyalgia. * Continued presence of pain more than 50% of days. * Pain greater than a certain threshold on the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain; 7-day recall; \[Note: The VAS is widely used in clinical pain research and as such we chose to use it for inclusion criteria and for clinical pain assessment below. Within our group numerical ratings scales 0-100 are more commonly used in quantitative sensory assessment, and as such we chose to use NRS scales for evoked pain assessments below.\] * Willing to limit the introduction of any new medications or treatment modalities for control of FM symptoms during the study. * Able to travel to the study site to receive acupuncture treatments up to two times weekly. * Over 18 and under 65 years of age. * Right-handed. * Female. * Capable of giving written informed consent. Inclusion Criteria for Healthy Control Participants * Over 18 and under 65 years of age. * Female. * Right-handed. * Do not have fibromyalgia or an associated pain disorder, including: migraine, temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ), chronic pelvic pain (CPP), or chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). * Pain less than a certain threshold on the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain; 7-day recall * Willing to complete all study procedures. * Capable of giving written informed consent. Exclusion Criteria for Fibromyalgia Participants: * Acupuncture within last 6-months. * Presence of a known coagulation abnormality, thrombocytopenia, or bleeding diathesis that may preclude the safe use of acupuncture. * Presence of a concurrent autoimmune or inflammatory disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, inflammatory bowel disease, etc., or any other chronic pain condition with pain greater than fibromyalgia pain. * Peripheral neuropathy of know cause that interferes with activities of daily living. * History of vascular surgery in lower limbs or current lower limb vascular dysfunction. * History of head injury with substantial loss of consciousness. * Routine daily use of narcotic analgesics, marijuana or have a history of substance abuse in the past 24 months as determine by subject self-report. * Stimulant medications, such as those used to treat ADD/ADHD (e.g., amphetamine/ dextroamphetamine \[Adderall®\], methylphenidate, dextroamphetamine), or the fatigue associated with sleep apnea o…