Objective:

To systematically review the available evidence on acupuncture-related therapies for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

Approach:

• Literature Search: Systematic search of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library for RCTs on acupuncture-related therapies for CFS.
• Data Extraction: Two researchers independently performed literature screening, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment.
• Quality Assessment: Methodological quality evaluated using the Cochrane RoB 2 tool for RCTs.
• Meta-Analysis: Conducted using R software; outcomes expressed as standardized mean difference (SMD) and risk ratio (RR).

Key Findings:

• 8 RCTs involving 715 patients were included.
• Acupuncture-related therapies showed significant improvement in overall fatigue (SMD = -1.31, 95% CI: -2.16 to -0.47, p = 0.002).
• Significant improvements in physical fatigue (SMD = -0.52, 95% CI: -0.88 to -0.16, p = 0.0048) and mental fatigue (SMD = -0.59, 95% CI: -0.93 to -0.26, p = 0.0006).
• Higher total response rate in intervention group (RR = 1.22, 95% CI: 1.07 to 1.40, p = 0.004).
• No significant difference in adverse events between groups (RR = 2.26, 95% CI: 0.76 to 6.76, p = 0.144).

Interpretation:

Findings suggest acupuncture-related therapies may improve fatigue in CFS patients, but should be interpreted cautiously due to study limitations.

Limitations:

• Limited number of studies and small sample sizes.
• Moderate risk of bias in included studies.
• High heterogeneity among studies.

Conclusion:

Current evidence indicates that acupuncture-related therapies may have some beneficial effects on fatigue in CFS patients; however, these findings should be interpreted cautiously due to study limitations, including small sample sizes and moderate risk of bias.

Sources:

• Systematic Review Registration