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Chronic fatigue syndrome and related fatigue-like conditions are complex disorders involving oxidative stress, inflammation, and hormonal dysregulation. Complementary and alternative medicine offers a range of non-pharmacological approaches that are widely used, yet their comparative effectiveness has not been rigorously ranked in a single analysis.
Researchers conducted a systematic review and network meta-analysis, searching eight major databases for animal studies published up to January 2026. A total of 77 studies covering nine types of complementary and alternative medicine non-pharmacological therapies were included. Risk of bias was assessed using the SYRCLE tool, and statistical analysis was performed using Stata 16.0.
Among the key findings, electroacupuncture and moxibustion significantly prolonged exhaustive swimming time in animal models compared to controls, suggesting improved physical endurance. For oxidative stress, fire acupuncture, manual acupuncture, needle-pricking, and moxibustion all significantly reduced levels of MDA, a marker of oxidative damage. Regarding inflammation, both Tuina and electroacupuncture significantly lowered IL-1β levels. On the endocrine side, electroacupuncture and Tuina significantly reduced corticotropin-releasing hormone, which is linked to stress-axis dysregulation. The authors note that findings are based on animal models and that translation to human clinical outcomes requires further investigation through rigorous randomised controlled trials.
Conclusion: This network meta-analysis suggests electroacupuncture and several other complementary and alternative medicine therapies show measurable benefits across fatigue, oxidative stress, inflammation, and endocrine markers in animal models, though human clinical evidence is still needed to confirm these findings.
Source: Ren S, Wei J, Zhao S and colleagues. Frontiers in physiology (2026). View on PubMed (PMID 42180838) · doi:10.3969/j.issn.1008-0805.2010.09.040
