Wang, Qian, Xiong, Jia-Xuan · Zhongguo zhen jiu = Chinese acupuncture & moxibustion · 2005
This small study looked at whether acupuncture with electrical stimulation could help people with chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). Forty patients received electroacupuncture treatments targeting specific points on the back. After treatment, patients reported that their fatigue improved, their mood lifted, and anxiety decreased based on questionnaire scores.
ME/CFS lacks effective mainstream treatments, making exploration of complementary approaches important for patients seeking symptom relief. However, rigorous evaluation of such treatments requires robust study designs to distinguish true efficacy from placebo effects and natural variation.
This study cannot establish that electroacupuncture causes fatigue improvement because there is no control or placebo comparison group. Observed improvements could reflect placebo effect, natural symptom fluctuation, patient expectation, or other confounding factors. The small sample size and observational design severely limit conclusions about effectiveness.
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
Wang, Qian & Xiong, Jia-Xuan (2005). [Clinical observation on electroacupuncture for treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome].. Zhongguo zhen jiu = Chinese acupuncture & moxibustion. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16318125/
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-wang-2005-clinical-observation,
author = {Wang, Qian and Xiong, Jia-Xuan},
title = {[Clinical observation on electroacupuncture for treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome].},
journal = {Zhongguo zhen jiu = Chinese acupuncture & moxibustion},
year = {2005},
note = {PubMed: 16318125},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/wang-2005-clinical-observation},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-29. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/wang-2005-clinical-observation
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