Chronic fatigue syndrome is characterized by severe disabling fatigue and other symptoms such as musculoskeletal pain, impaired concentration, headaches, chronic pain, insomnia, depression. While the causes are not well understood, treatment in allopathic medicine approaches include graded exercise therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy and antidepressant drugs. Perhaps a multi-pronged approach is best, one that includes complementary and alternative therapies such as acupuncture.
Clinically, acupuncture has helped many CFS patients, but randomized controlled studies have been inconclusive. Some highlights of current research can be found here:
Acupuncture may help to relieve symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome such as musculoskeletal pain, headache, sleep problems, tiredness and depression by:
- stimulating nerves located in muscles and other tissues, which leads to release of endorphins and other neurohumoral factors, and changes the processing of pain in the brain and spinal cord (Pomeranz 1987, Zhao 2008).
- stimulating opiodergic neurons to increase the concentrations of beta-endorphin, so relieving pain (Cheng 2009).
- reducing inflammation, by promoting release of vascular and immunomodulatory factors (Kavoussi 2007, Zijlstra 2003).
- improving muscle stiffness and joint mobility by increasing local microcirculation (Komori 2009), which can reduce swelling and pain.
- reducing insomnia through increasing nocturnal endogenous melatonin secretion (Spence 2004).