Fibromyalgia is a complex disorder, accompanied by fatigue, headache, sleep disturbances, decreased energy and depression, but the most debilitating symptom of Fibromyalgia is chronic muscle pain, spasms and tightness. Fibromyalgia can cause pain anywhere in the body; however, neck, shoulders, back, hips, arms and legs are the most commonly affected sites. Recent evidences have shown that supplementing with coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) may help reduce fibromyalgia pain and improve clinical symptoms.

CoQ10 is a substance made by the body and found in every cell of the body. Cells use CoQ10 to produce the energy your body needs for cell growth and maintenance. It also functions as an antioxidant which protects the body from damage caused by harmful molecules.

It is naturally present in small amounts in a wide variety of foods, and in larger concentrations in foods such as fish and meat, as well as soybean, sesame and canola oils.

Elísabet Alcocer-Gomez and colleagues conducted a study involving 20 patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia. CoQ10 Supplementation, every day for 40 days, was found be shown clinical improvements, including a significant reduction in pain, fatigue, and morning tiredness.

The CoQ10 group showed molecular changes, including the increase in mitochondrial biogenesis and antioxidants gene expression, and reduced inflammation. These were accompanied by improved clinical symptoms determined by the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and tender points. A clinically significant improvement was seen in all subscores from the Symptom Checklist-90-R, with statistically significant reductions in interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, hostility, and psychoticism items (all p<0.001); moderately significant changes were seen in somatization and obsessive-compulsive items (both p<0.05). However, further analysis involving more patients in double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trials is required to confirm these observations.