title: Acupuncture for chronic fatigue syndrome and idiopathic chronic fatigue: a multicenter, nonblinded, randomized controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The causes of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and idiopathic chronic fatigue (ICF) are not clearly known, and there are no definitive treatments for them. Therefore, patients with CFS and ICF are interested in Oriental medicine or complementary and alternative medicine. For this reason, the effectiveness of complementary and alternative treatments should be verified. We investigated the effectiveness of two forms of acupuncture added to usual care for CFS and ICF compared to usual care alone.
  
  
  METHODS
  A three-arm parallel, non-blinded, randomized controlled trial was performed in four hospitals. We divided 150 participants into treatment and control groups at the same ratio. The treatment groups (Group A, body acupuncture; Group B, Sa-am acupuncture) received 10 sessions for 4 weeks. The control group (Group C) continued usual care alone. The primary outcome was the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) at 5 weeks after randomization. Secondary outcomes were the FSS at 13 weeks and a short form of the Stress Response Inventory (SRI), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), and the EuroQol-5 Dimension (EQ-5D) at 5 and 13 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Group A showed significantly lower FSS scores than Group C at 5 weeks (P = 0.023). SRI scores were significantly lower in the treatment groups than in the control group at 5 (Group A, P = 0.032; B, P <0.001) and 13 weeks (Group A, P = 0.037; B, P <0.001). Group B showed significantly lower BDI scores than Group C at 13 weeks (P = 0.007). NRS scores from the treatment groups were significantly reduced compared to control at 5 (Group A and B, P <0.001) and 13 weeks (Group A, P = 0.011; B, P = 0.002).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Body acupuncture for 4 weeks in addition to usual care may help improve fatigue in CFS and ICF patients.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Clinical Research Information Service (CRIS) KCT0000508; Registered on 12 August 2012.
authors.affiliation: Acupuncture, Moxibustion & Meridian Research Group, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, South Korea. eujuki@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jung-Eun
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Acupuncture & Moxibustion, Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong, Seoul, South Korea. seohbk@hanmail.net.
authors.forename: Byung-Kwan
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.affiliation: Department of Oriental Rehabilitation Medicine, Gwangju Oriental Hospital of Dongshin University, Gwangju, South Korea. jy1907@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jin-Bong
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Oriental Gynecology, Jecheon Oriental Hospital of Semyung University, Jecheon, South Korea. khjoongy@hanmail.net.
authors.forename: Hyeong-Jun
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Acupuncture, Moxibustion & Meridian Research Group, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, South Korea. rockandmineral@gmail.com.|College of Korean Medicine, Gachon University, Seongnam, South Korea. rockandmineral@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Tae-Hun
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Acupuncture, Moxibustion & Meridian Research Group, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, South Korea. minimarine@hanmail.net.
authors.forename: Min-Hee
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Acupuncture, Moxibustion & Meridian Research Group, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, South Korea. kwkang@kiom.re.kr.
authors.forename: Kyung-Won
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: Acupuncture, Moxibustion & Meridian Research Group, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, South Korea. jhkim714@kiom.re.kr.
authors.forename: Joo-Hee
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Acupuncture, Moxibustion & Meridian Research Group, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, South Korea. kyungmin7221@kiom.re.kr.
authors.forename: Kyung-Min
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Acupuncture, Moxibustion & Meridian Research Group, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, South Korea. aimforyou@hanmail.net.|Department of Acupuncture & Moxibustion, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea. aimforyou@hanmail.net.
authors.forename: Seunghoon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Acupuncture, Moxibustion & Meridian Research Group, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, South Korea. syjung@kiom.re.kr.
authors.forename: So-Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Acupuncture, Moxibustion & Meridian Research Group, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, South Korea. arkim@kiom.re.kr.
authors.forename: Ae-Ran
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Acupuncture, Moxibustion & Meridian Research Group, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, South Korea. irisflower4u@naver.com.
authors.forename: Mi-Suk
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Acupuncture, Moxibustion & Meridian Research Group, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, South Korea. only221@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Hee-Jung
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Acupuncture, Moxibustion & Meridian Research Group, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, South Korea. mable@kiom.re.kr.
authors.forename: Hyo-Ju
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Acupuncture, Moxibustion & Meridian Research Group, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, South Korea. spspspppp@kiom.re.kr.
authors.forename: Sung-Phil
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Acupuncture & Moxibustion, Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong, Seoul, South Korea. byhacu@khu.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Yong-Hyeon
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Baek
authors.affiliation: Department of Acupuncture & Moxibustion, Daejeon Oriental Hospital of Daejeon University, Daejeon, South Korea. hkeacu@hanmail.net.|Department of Korean Medicine, Nurije Korean Medical Clinic, Daejeon, South Korea. hkeacu@hanmail.net.
authors.forename: Kwon-Eui
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Acupuncture, Moxibustion & Meridian Research Group, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, South Korea. smchoi@kiom.re.kr.
authors.forename: Sun-Mi
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Choi
mesh_terms: D015670:Acupuncture Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005221:Fatigue / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D015673:Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020127:Recovery of Function; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome