Shu, Qing, Wang, Hua, Litscher, Daniela et al. · Scientific reports · 2016 · DOI
This study tested whether two traditional Chinese medicine treatments—acupuncture and moxibustion (warming therapy)—could help reduce fatigue in ME/CFS patients. Forty-five people were divided into three groups: two received acupuncture and one received moxibustion. Both treatments reduced fatigue, but moxibustion appeared to work better, especially over the long term, possibly by calming the nervous system.
ME/CFS patients have few evidence-based treatment options and often experience significant functional limitations from fatigue. This study suggests acupuncture and moxibustion may help regulate autonomic dysfunction—a recognized feature of ME/CFS—offering potential low-risk complementary approaches worth further investigation.
This pilot study does not establish that acupuncture or moxibustion is definitively effective for ME/CFS; small sample size and lack of adequate blinding limit generalizability. The proposed mechanism (vagal activation) is inferred from HRV changes rather than directly proven. The study cannot determine whether benefits persist after treatment cessation or compare effectiveness to other standard treatments.
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
Shu, Qing, Wang, Hua, Litscher, Daniela, Wu, Song, Chen, Li, Gaischek, Ingrid, et al. (2016). Acupuncture and Moxibustion have Different Effects on Fatigue by Regulating the Autonomic Nervous System: A Pilot Controlled Clinical Trial.. Scientific reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep37846
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-shu-2016-acupuncture-moxibustion,
author = {Shu, Qing and Wang, Hua and Litscher, Daniela and Wu, Song and Chen, Li and Gaischek, Ingrid and Wang, Lu and He, Wenjuan and Zhou, Huanjiao and Litscher, Gerhard and Liang, Fengxia},
title = {Acupuncture and Moxibustion have Different Effects on Fatigue by Regulating the Autonomic Nervous System: A Pilot Controlled Clinical Trial.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
year = {2016},
doi = {10.1038/srep37846},
note = {PubMed: 27886247},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/shu-2016-acupuncture-moxibustion},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-26. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/shu-2016-acupuncture-moxibustion
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