Clinical Efficacy of Yang -Supporting Cupping Combined with Wheat-Grain Moxibustion in Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Spleen

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of yang-supporting cupping combined with wheat-grain moxibustion in the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) characterized by a spleen–kidney yang deficiency pattern. A total of 120 patients who met the diagnostic criteria for CFS with spleen–kidney yang deficiency were enrolled between July 2023 and June 2024. Patients were randomly allocated into a control group and a treatment group (n = 60 each) using a random number table. The control group received wheat-grain moxibustion, basic pharmacological therapy, and standardized nursing care, whereas the treatment group received additional yang-supporting cupping therapy in addition to the control group's protocol. Both groups completed two treatment cycles. Clinical efficacy was evaluated using the Quantitative Symptom Grading Scale for Spleen–Kidney Yang Deficiency Pattern, Fatigue Scale-14 (FS-14), and Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS). Pre- and posttreatment differences in scores were compared between groups to assess therapeutic outcomes. Following treatment, both groups demonstrated significant improvements across all assessment measures, including spleen–kidney yang deficiency symptoms, FS-14 fatigue levels, and SAS anxiety scores (all p < 0.05). Moreover, the magnitude of improvement in these indicators was significantly greater in the treatment group than in the control group (all p < 0.05). The combination of yang-supporting cupping and wheat-grain moxibustion in patients with CFS presenting with spleen–kidney yang deficiency was associated with greater improvement in core clinical symptoms and overall sub-health status, resulting in a significant enhancement in quality of life.

Keywords

chronic fatigue syndrome with pattern of spleen–kidney yang deficiency nursing intervention TCM external therapy wheat-grain moxibustion

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Apostolou

Rosén

(2024). Epigenetic reprograming in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic FatigueSyndrome: A narrative of latent viruses. Journal of Internal Medicine, 296(1), 93–115. https://doi.org/10.1111/joim.13792

Bao

Gao

Bai

Shen

(2019). Alleviating symptoms with spleen-kidney tonifying congee for chronic fatigue syndrome of spleen-kidney Yang deficiency pattern. Journal of Nursing Science, 34(4), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.3870/j.issn.1001-4152.2019.04.001

Cai

Y. M.

X. J.

Zheng

J. F.

Wang

Zhang

Y. F.

Yao

Q. W.

(2021). Clinical observation on wheat grain moxibustion for chronic superficial gastritis of Spleen-Stomach deficiency and cold. Zhongguo Zhen Jiu, 41, 511–514. https://doi.org/10.13703/j.0255-2930.20200430-k0001

Chalder

Berelowitz

Pawlikowska

, et al. (1993). Development of a fatigue scale. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 37(2), 147–153. https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-3999(93)90081-P

Formulation Working Group for Grain-Sized Moxibustion (Wang, X., Wang, X., Dong, C., Li, Y., Wang, J., Jin, S., & Liu, D. (2022). Standardized operations of TCM rehabilitation techniques: Grain-sized moxibustion. Rehabilitation Medicine, 32(2), 100–105. https://doi.org/10.3724/SP.J.1329.2022.02002

Fukuda

Straus

S. E.

Hickie

Sharpe

M. C.

Dobbins

J. G.

Komaroff

(1994). The Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A comprehensive approach to its definition and study. International Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Study Group. Annals of Internal Medicine, 121(12), 953–959. https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-121-12-199412150-00009

Helliwell

A. M.

Stockwell

P. A.

Edgar

C. D.

Chatterjee

Tate

W. P.

(2022). Dynamic epigenetic changes during a relapse and recovery cycle in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 23(19), 11852. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms231911852

Y. X.

Zhang

Z. Q.

Zhou

Q. J.

Liao

J. Y.

Chai

X. L.

(2022). Mechanism exploration of the classical traditional Chinese medicine formula huoluo xiaoling pill in clinical treatment and the traditional Chinese medicine theory “treating different diseases with the same method”: A network pharmacology study and molecular docking verification. World Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 8, 131–140. https://doi.org/10.4103/wjtcm.wjtcm_58_21

Lim

E. J.

Ahn

Y. C.

Jang

E. S.

, et al. (2020). Systematic review and meta-analysis of the prevalence of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME). Journal of Translational Medicine, 18(1), 100. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12967-020-02269-0

10.

Lin

Chen

X. L.

Chen

Wen

Chen

(2019). Jin's three-needle acupuncture technique for chronic fatigue syndrome: A study protocol for a multicentre, randomized, controlled trial. Trials, 20(1), 155. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-019-3243-5

11.

Luo

(2008) Clinical research guidelines for new traditional Chinese medicine drugs in treating chronic fatigue syndrome [Paper presentation]. Proceedings of the 2008 ‘Preventive Treatment of Disease’ and Sub-health Prevention and Control Forum, Guangzhou, China, pp. 159–163.

12.

Noor

Urits

Degueure

, et al. (2021). A comprehensive update of the current understanding of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, 11(3), e113629. https://doi.org/10.5812/aapm.113629

13.

Tee

D. W.

Wong

H. F.

(2023). Effective common Chinese herbal medicines used in treating chronic cholecystitis with liver-gallbladder dampness-heat syndrome: A review of clinical studies in the past 10 years. World Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 9, 8–20. https://doi.org/10.4103/2311-8571.364414

14.

Wang

(2015). Fu Yang External Therapy and Fu Yang Cup Health Preservation. People's Military Medical Press.

15.

Huang

Zhao

(2022). Interpretation of the “nomenclature and location of meridian points” (GB/T 12346-2021) standard. Chinese Acupuncture and Moxibustion, 42(5), 579–582+584. https://doi.org/10.13703/j.0255-2930.20220117-k0001

16.

Zhang

Wang

Zhou

(2020). Advances in clinical research on Traditional Chinese Medicine treatment of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med, 2020, 4715679. https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/4715679

17.

Zhang

Gao

S. H.

(2022). Chinese Traditional five-tone music therapy. Zhonghua Yi Shi Za Zhi, 52(6), 323–327. https://doi.org/10.3760/cma.j.cn112155-20210701-00083

18.

Zung

W. W. K.

(1971). A rating instrument for anxiety disorders. Psychosomatics, 12(6), 371–379. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0033-3182(71)71479-0

Clinical Efficacy of Yang -Supporting Cupping Combined with Wheat-Grain Moxibustion in Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Spleen–Kidney Yang Deficiency

Abstract

Keywords

Get full access to this article

References