Efficacy of acupuncture-based traditional Chinese medicine therapies for chronic fatigue syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis - Takeaways - MDSpire

Efficacy of acupuncture-based traditional Chinese medicine therapies for chronic fatigue syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis

  • By

  • Yanbing Li

  • Gaozhe Liang

  • Tingting Xiao

  • Lei Xu

  • June 24, 2026

  • 0 min

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  • 1

    The systematic review included 8 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving 715 patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

  • 2

    Acupuncture-related therapies showed statistically significant improvement in overall fatigue compared to control interventions (SMD = -1.31, p = 0.002).

  • 3

    Meta-analysis indicated that acupuncture improved both physical fatigue (SMD = -0.52, p = 0.0048) and mental fatigue (SMD = -0.59, p = 0.0006).

  • 4

    The total response rate was higher in the acupuncture group than in controls, with a statistically significant difference (RR = 1.22, p = 0.004).

  • 5

    No significant difference in adverse events was found between acupuncture and control groups (RR = 2.26, p = 0.144), indicating safety in treatment.

Original Source(s)

Efficacy of acupuncture-based traditional Chinese medicine therapies for chronic fatigue syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis

  • by Yanbing Li, Gaozhe Liang, Tingting Xiao, Lei Xu

  • June 24, 2026

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