You, Jianyu, Ye, Jing, Li, Haiyan et al. · Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM · 2021 · DOI
This review examined whether moxibustion—a traditional Chinese medicine treatment that applies heat to specific points on the skin—might help people with ME/CFS. The researchers looked at 15 published studies involving over 1,000 patients and found that moxibustion appeared to reduce fatigue severity more effectively than acupuncture or standard medications. However, the researchers note that the overall quality of evidence is limited, meaning we need more rigorous studies before we can be confident about these results.
ME/CFS remains challenging to treat, and patients often seek complementary approaches when standard therapies provide insufficient relief. This review synthesizes evidence on moxibustion, a widely used but understudied traditional treatment, providing both patients and clinicians with current knowledge about its potential utility and safety profile for CFS management.
This review does not establish that moxibustion is definitively effective for ME/CFS; the moderate-to-very-low quality of evidence substantially limits confidence in the findings. The review cannot determine optimal treatment protocols, appropriate patient populations, or mechanisms of action. Studies included were primarily from China and may contain publication bias, limiting generalizability to other populations.
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
You, Jianyu, Ye, Jing, Li, Haiyan, Ye, Wenguo, & Hong, Ensi (2021). Moxibustion for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/6418217
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-you-2021-moxibustion-chronic,
author = {You, Jianyu and Ye, Jing and Li, Haiyan and Ye, Wenguo and Hong, Ensi},
title = {Moxibustion for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.},
journal = {Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM},
year = {2021},
doi = {10.1155/2021/6418217},
note = {PubMed: 34804182},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/you-2021-moxibustion-chronic},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-27. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/you-2021-moxibustion-chronic
Contribute
Private, reviewed by a human. Not a public comment thread.