ReviewEvidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM2021
Moxibustion for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Review in Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 20 citations in OpenAlex.
- Comparative effectiveness of non-pharmacological traditional Chinese medicine therapies for chronic fatigue syndrome: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Pooled it
- Recent research in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: an evidence map.Health technology assessment (Winchester, England) · 2025Pooled it
- Efficacy of acupuncture-based traditional Chinese medicine therapies for chronic fatigue syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in neurologyPooled it
- Dose-effect of long-snake-like moxibustion for chronic fatigue syndrome: a randomized controlled trial.Journal of translational medicine · 2023Trial
- Clinical efficacy of Jianqiao ancient moxibustion in treating chronic fatigue syndrome: a single-center randomized controlled superiority trial protocol.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Article
- Stimulation of High-Conductivity Points in Human Skin Reduces Biotin Levels to Modulate Intracellular Metabolism and Local Energy Production.Health science reports · 2025Article
- Identifying potential biomarkers in the hippocampus of chronic fatigue syndrome rats treated with moxibustion at Zusanli (ST36): a proteomics study.Journal of traditional Chinese medicine = Chung i tsa chih ying wen pan · 2025Article
- Efficacy of thunder-fire moxibustion for cancer-related fatigue in breast cancer survivors: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.Frontiers in oncology · 2025Article
- Regulation of autonomic nervous system by acupuncture: a heart rate variability study on physical stress.Frontiers in human neuroscience · 2025Article
- Chronic inflammatory response syndrome: a review of the evidence of clinical efficacy of treatment.Annals of medicine and surgery (2012) · 2024Review
- Efficacy and safety of moxibustion for ulcerative colitis: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMJ open · 2024Article
- Integrated 'omics analysis for the gut microbiota response to moxibustion in a rat model of chronic fatigue syndrome.Journal of traditional Chinese medicine = Chung i tsa chih ying wen pan · 2023Article
- Governor vessel moxibustion for cancer-related fatigue in colorectal patients: a randomized trial.Frontiers in oncology · 2023Article
- The Efficacy of Acupuncture on Patients with Erectile Dysfunction: A Review.Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM · 2022Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveThis review aimed at systematically evaluating the efficacy and safety of moxibustion for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).
methodsRelevant trials were searched in seven digital databases up to January 2021. After literature screening, data extraction, and literature quality evaluation, the included studies were meta-analyzed using RevMan 5.4 software. The evidence level was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE).
resultsFifteen studies involving 1030 CFS participants were included. Meta-analyses showed a favorable effect of moxibustion on the total effective rate compared with acupuncture (OR = 4.58, 95%CI = [2.85, 7.35],
conclusionsBased on limited evidence, moxibustion might be an effective and safe complementary therapy for CFS, which can be recommended to manage CFS. Because of the limited level of evidence in this review, further high-quality trials are still needed to confirm these findings.
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.