Acupuncture Improves Chronic Fatigue Symptoms

Acupuncture improves chronic fatigue symptoms.
The addition of acupuncture to routine medical care, can improve the symptoms of patients with chronic fatigue. Researchers in Korea performed a three-armed, controlled trial in which 150 patients across four hospital research centres were randomly allocated to one of three groups. There were two acupuncture groups of traditional Chinese and Korean styles respectively plus usual care, and one control group which received usual care alone. Patients were aged between 19 and 65 and had had symptoms for at least six months. All other usual medical causes of fatigue were excluded. Acupuncture comprised ten sessions over four weeks.

At five weeks from baseline, the Chinese acupuncture group showed significantly lower fatigue scores than the control group, and both treatment groups showed significantly lower stress scores. At 13 weeks, the Korean acupuncture group scored significantly lower for depression. Pain scores at weeks 5 and 13 were also significantly lower in the treatment groups.

(Acupuncture for chronic fatigue syndrome and idiopathic chronic fatigue: a multicenter, nonblinded, randomized controlled trial. Trials Journal, July 2015.)

Author: Robin Costello

I offer traditional Chinese acupuncture in Exeter, from a tranquil clinic a mile from the city centre, and next to the University of Exeter. I graduated originally from the London School of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine’s 3 year full time Acupuncture Diploma (DipAc) course. I am on the practitioners register of the British Acupuncture Council (MBAcC), a regulatory and professional body with an entry standard of a full three year undergraduate degree level training. I have worked in a hospital in south west China, deepening my knowledge and using acupuncture and Chinese massage (tuina) as the treatment of choice in its country of origin. I have taught Chinese medicine in colleges, the NHS and at university level. I also practise Qi Gong, and Chinese dietary therapy, that is the medicinal use of ordinary foods, chosen to help achieve particular therapeutic effects in different individuals.