The Effect of Oriental Medicine Music Therapy on Idiopathic Chronic Fatigue

Abstract

Objective:

Idiopathic chronic fatigue (ICF), defined as medically unexplained chronic fatigue, is common these days. To date, there is no definite cure for ICF, and alternative therapies are being investigated. Oriental medicine music therapy (OMMT), a novel music therapy that occurs through an active behavioral process, has been applied to various chronic diseases, including ICF. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of OMMT on ICF.

Design:

Randomized controlled trial of OMMT compared with the waitlist control (6 sessions each) during a 2-week period.

Participants:

Thirty participants who had had ICF for at least 6 months before the experiments were recruited.

Outcome measures:

We evaluated fatigue severity scale (FSS), visual analog scale (VAS) for overall fatigue, revised Chalder fatigue scale (RCFS), World Health Organization quality of life scale abbreviated version (WHOQOL-BREF), Buzhongyiqi-Tang questionnaire (BZTQ), and salivary cortisol level at baseline (week 0) and at the end of the study (week 2) in the two groups.

Results:

FSS, VAS, and RCFS scores were significantly lower, and WHOQOL-BREF scores were significantly higher in the OMMT group than in the waitlist group (p=0.006, p=0.004, p=0.002, and p=0.002, respectively). In contrast, salivary cortisol level and BZTQ scores were not significantly different between the OMMT group and the waitlist group.

Conclusions:

The present study suggests that OMMT may be an alternative treatment for ICF. Based on this result, further studies including possible mechanisms are needed.