A randomised, controlled pilot study has been completed, assessing the contribution of acupressure and acupuncture for cancer-related fatigue. Forty-seven cancer patients with moderate to severe fatigue, were assigned at random to one of three groups: acupuncture, acupressure or sham acupressure. The acupuncture group received six treatments spread over two weeks. The two acupressure groups were shown points which they pressed daily for two weeks. At the end of the trial, the acupuncture group enjoyed a 36% improvement in fatigue levels, the acupressure group improved by 19%, and the sham acupressure group improved by 0.6%.
(The Management of Cancer-Related Fatigue After Chemotherapy with Acupuncture and Acupressure: A Randomised Controlled Trial. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, December 2007.)