[ decoction combined with acupuncture at back- points for chronic fatigue syndrome].

OBJECTIVE

To observe the effect difference between decoction combined with acupuncture at back- points and simple decoction for chronic fatigue syndrome.

METHODS

Sixty patients were randomly assigned into an herbal group and a combination group, 30 cases in each one. Simple decoction was used in the herbal group for continuous one month, one decoction a day. Based on that in the herbal group, 30 min acupuncture was used in the combination group at bilateral Xinshu (BL 15), Feishu (BL 13), Pishu (BL 20), Ganshu (BL 18) and Shenshu (BL 23), with acupoints according to syndrome differentiation. Acupuncture was given for 3 courses, 10 times as a course with 3 days between two courses, once a day. Fatigue status was evaluated before and after treatment by fatigue scale 14 (FS-14) and self-rating anxiety scale (SAS).

RESULTS

The FS-14 scores, including body fatigue scores, mental fatigue scores and total scores, and SAS scores after treatment were lower than those before treatment in the two groups (all <0.01), with better improvements in the combination group (all <0.01).

CONCLUSION

decoction combined with acupuncture at back- points can improve chronic fatigue syndrome, which are better than simple decoction.