Indirect moxibustion (CV4 and CV8) ameliorates chronic fatigue: a randomized, double-blind, controlled study.

OBJECTIVE

The antifatigue effect of indirect moxibustion and its antioxidant properties were investigated.

METHODS

A randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial was performed with 44 patients who had idiopathic chronic fatigue. The subjects were treated with a placebo or moxibustion (indirect moxibustion on CV4 and CV8 3 times per week for 4 weeks), and their fatigue severity was monitored using a self-rating numeric scale (NRS) and a visual analog scale (VAS). Serum level of reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde (MDA), total antioxidant capacity, the activity of catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione reductase and total glutathione content, were determined before initial moxibustion therapy and after the 12th moxibustion treatment.

RESULTS

The moxibustion group had a significantly lower fatigue severity score compared to the control for both the NRS (p<0.05) and VAS scores (p<0.01). The level of serum MDA was significantly lower in the moxibustion group than in the placebo group (p<0.05), whereas glutathione reductase activity and total glutathione content increased significantly following moxibustion (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The results provide clinical evidence for an antifatigue effect of indirect moxibustion at CV4 and CV8 and suggest that the effect is due to the antioxidant properties of moxibustion.