Research Brief
A small but growing body of evidence suggests that acupuncture may be an effective treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome.
A recent Chinese study showed that 2 treatments from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) were effective -- acupuncture and Shenmai injection (which is composed of 2 common TCM herbs.) However, researchers say acupuncture was the far more effective treatment.
Specifically, researchers say the treatments made participants less fatigued and eased fatigue-related symptoms, such as brain function.
Last April, a separate study also out of China found that circadian rhythm (your internal "body clock") was abnormal in people with chronic fatigue syndrome, and that treatment with electroacupuncture was able to regulate the circadian rhythm and improve daytime cognitive function.
The term "electroacupuncture" has 2 different meanings. In TCM, it means using electricity in conjunction with needles to provide higher levels of stimulation. In the U.S., it's often used to describe treatment with low-voltage electricity instead of needles. The abstract didn't specify which form was used, and I can't read the article because it's in Chinese. However, since this was a Chinese study published in a Chinese journal, my assumption is that they used the TCM definition.
In Dec. 2009, another Chinese research group published a meta analysis of 28 published studies on acupuncture for chronic fatigue syndrome. It concluded that acupuncture does appear effective but that more high-quality studies need to be done before we know for sure.
If you're interested in trying acupuncture, it might help to print out the first two studies, linked above, so your acupuncturist knows which sites the researchers used.
Have you had acupuncture for chronic fatigue syndrome? Did it help? Leave your comments below!
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Adrienne,
I don’t have CFS, but I do have FMS. I gave acupuncture a try last year, went about 4 times, and gave it up promptly. I found many problems that I’m guessing were mostly due to the doctor that was treating me. First off, the language barrier was very high, which normally is ok with me as I work and have worked with many international folks, but when it comes to treating me, the large sum of money I had to pay, and the very brief time I spent with him trying to explain my symptoms, it just did not work. Secondly, it was very pricey, anywhere from 75-115 a session, way too much for a FMS/CFS patient (as we all pay so much for healthcare, medication, etc). And lastly, and most importantly, I could not explain to him that in FMS, you cannot just treat a localized sore area. I’m never sure if he understood that, as he always asked me where the pain was. I told him that today, it’s here, yesterday, it was there, and so on and so forth. My left shoulder hurts today, but it didn’t this time yesterday and might not tomorrow.
The only benefit I found was after the first session, where even though I was still in pain, my anxiety felt lifted, like a warm blanket. Sadly that feeling was never replicated.
Therefore I would caution anybody seeking acupuncture treatment to ensure the therapist has good experience with treating FMS/CFS, though I still hold onto the believe it is good if used in the right manner.
I tried 3 different practitioners with no postitive results.
Acupuncture is the best treatment I found for my FMS (and migraines) without side effects. It helps in three ways: 1) fatigue (as they mentioned in the studies), I always sleep so well after a session, 2) acute pain relief, and 3) circulation in my hands and feet which is always terrible. It is expensive, and not covered by my insurance, which is why I can only go twice a month. I would highly recommend it.
Acupuncture works for chronic fatigue syndrome but you need a good practitioner. Main disadvantage about this treatment, it is expensive and not covered by health insurances.
I was told by a local, reputable, acupuncture practitioner that if one’s oxygen saturation levels are low (which mine are) the procedure will not work.
Circadian rhythm disturbance was probably the 1st symptom to manifest for me or the symptom that is most notable. I can’t pinpoint being sick or being exposed toxically speaking, but I sure do know when I started sleeping a lot and find it very hard to keep a normal day/night cycle!
Despite my CFS/FM, if this works, I will not walk, I will RUN to a person that can bring my circadian cycle back to normal!
Thanks!!!!!!!
In my experience, acupuncture tended to energize, but it was not helpful enough (and sometimes counterproductive) for my fibromyalgia. I often felt overstimulated, and fibromyalgia, with all its complex symptoms, is a state of hyper arousal and pain amplification. For chronic fatigue, I would think that acupuncture would have more potential. Of course, it is possible that the practitioner didn’t find the right modality for me. In general, I don’t like treatments that are too stimulative, even though I also have the fatigue symptoms that go with FMS. Massage and osteopathic manipulation have proven more helpful for me; none of them are cheap and all seem very temporary in their effects.
I had CFS for five years. I seem to be getting better. I had acupuncture a few years ago and didn’t like it. My body was so sensitive I could stand the pain of it. More recently I’ve been having it again and I don’t feel any pain. I always feel better after the treatment – more energy. The practitioner gives me massage after the acupuncture – that helps too. I’ve been feeling generally better since I started this treatment.
These comments are very useful pointers for patients considering acupuncture for anything, not just CFS/FMS. It is important to understand that there are many levels of training for acupuncture, and sometimes people come from other countries with ‘qualifications’ that they cannot use in their own – China is a case in point. Any proper acupuncture training takes at least 3000 hours study and is therefore costly to undertake. Doing short courses amounting to 20 hours study simply will not do. Similarly, just because someone is a nurse/doctor/osteopath/other does NOT mean they can do a mini-training and be a proper acupuncturist. I speak as a nurse, so I know the difference!!
Always ask your intended practitioner how long they have trained, where they trained, and how much experience they have in treating your condition. Any good practitioner will be glad to tell you. Any good practitioner will also say if they don’t feel confident in managing your condition, and refer you to someone else.
I have had a lot of success in treating CFS but, it does take a while for improvements to be maintained; once that happens the next level is actual healing. Fixing the presenting symptoms is not the same as fixing the causative factor. Sadly, it is often very difficult to convince funding bodies to support the intervention beyond six sessions, which then leads to apparantly poor results from treatment. It is short-sighted and inhumane, IMHO. Plus, it actually saves money in the long term.
Acupuncture is energy work, and it makes sense to use it for CFS and related disorders. Insist on the best, and good luck to all of you!