Lin, Yu-Fang, Zhu, Jian-Fang, Chen, Yi-Dan et al. · Zhongguo zhen jiu = Chinese acupuncture & moxibustion · 2020 · DOI
This study tested whether ginger-separated moxibustion (a traditional Chinese medicine technique involving burning herbs on the skin) could help ME/CFS patients feel less tired, sleep better, and feel less depressed. Over 4 weeks, patients who received moxibustion in addition to normal diet and exercise showed significant improvements in fatigue, sleep quality, and depression compared to those who only made lifestyle changes.
ME/CFS patients often experience severe fatigue, sleep disturbance, and depression, which significantly reduce quality of life. This study provides preliminary evidence that moxibustion may be a non-pharmacological option for symptom management, and it strengthens the documented relationship between fatigue, sleep disruption, and mood in ME/CFS.
This study does not establish whether moxibustion effects persist beyond 4 weeks or compare efficacy against standard medical treatments or placebo controls. The mechanism by which moxibustion might improve symptoms remains unclear, and the small sample size and single-center design limit generalizability. Correlation between fatigue and depression does not establish causation.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
The first block is for the primary paper and is the citation you should use in research work. The atlas-snapshot line only applies if you are specifically referring to this atlas’s reading of the paper on the date shown.
Primary citation
Lin, Yu-Fang, Zhu, Jian-Fang, Chen, Yi-Dan, Sheng, Ji-Li, He, Jiao-Jun, Zhang, Shao-Ying, et al. (2020). [Effect of ginger-separated moxibustion on fatigue, sleep quality and depression in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome: a randomized controlled trial].. Zhongguo zhen jiu = Chinese acupuncture & moxibustion. https://doi.org/10.13703/j.0255-2930.20190722-k0001
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-lin-2020-effect-ginger,
author = {Lin, Yu-Fang and Zhu, Jian-Fang and Chen, Yi-Dan and Sheng, Ji-Li and He, Jiao-Jun and Zhang, Shao-Ying and Jin, Xiao-Qing},
title = {[Effect of ginger-separated moxibustion on fatigue, sleep quality and depression in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome: a randomized controlled trial].},
journal = {Zhongguo zhen jiu = Chinese acupuncture & moxibustion},
year = {2020},
doi = {10.13703/j.0255-2930.20190722-k0001},
note = {PubMed: 32869588},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/lin-2020-effect-ginger},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-26. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/lin-2020-effect-ginger
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