Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disabling and complex illness, that makes people unable to do their usual activities. And the syndrome may get worse after any physical or mental activity. According to a clinic research published by Wang Zhijuan, Liu Qinhua and Liu Jia, who are from the Jiangsu Taizhou TCM Hospital of China, the combination therapy of acupuncture and cupping is helpful to improve chronic fatigue syndrome. The article introduces their experience based on the theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Table of contents:

1. Acupuncture for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

2. Cupping therapy for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

3. Acupuncture Points for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

4. What We Offer to You

Acupuncture for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

The therapy picks major acupuncture points including Zu San Li, Shen Men and San Yin Jiao, and associated acupuncture points including Tai Xi and Yin Ling Quan. The acupuncture for Shen Men, Zu San Li and San Yin Jiao is through the supplementing method, and the acupuncture for other acupuncture points is through the normal supplementing and reducing method. Needles are retained for thirty minutes each treatment, and there is one treatment a day. Each course of treatment is ten days, and there are four days between two courses of treatment.

Cupping therapy for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

For cupping, the patient lies flat in a prone position. The back and sacral region should be fully exposed. The skin is thinly coated with vaseline.

The cupping therapy uses traditional Chinese medical methods. The first step of the therapy is moving cupping with flash-fire method. The flash-fire method is to put a stick or forceps with a burning alcohol cotton ball into a glass cup, rotate the fire in the glass cup, and then take it out, and rapidly put the glass cup on the cupping position.

The therapist should push the glass cup to move up and down on two sides of the back along the Bladder Channel of Foot Taiyang while keeping the glass cup sucked on the skin all along during the method. The method of moving cupping repeats ten to fifteen times for two to three minutes. Once the skin becomes red, glass cups are then retained on the acupuncture points of Pi Shu and Shen Shu for 15 to 20 minutes.

Acupuncture Points for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

According to the theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine, chronic fatigue syndrome belongs to asthenic and fatigue illness. It is related to congenital deficiencies, dietary irregularities, overwork and emotional internal injuries. All of these cause the deficiency of Qi and Blood and the abnormal status of Five Internal Organs which include Heart, Liver, Spleen, Lungs and Kidneys. The treatment is to adjust the meridian system for nursing Qi and Blood, and reinforce the functions of internal organs. It may greatly improve the body’s functions.

Zu San Li is an important acupuncture point for treating asthenic and fatigue illness and reinforcing the body’s functions. It is so well-known that people like to massage it by themselves daily in China.

Shen Men is an acupuncture point for treating heartache, dysphoria, palpitation, forgetfulness or sleeplessness.

San Yin Jiao is an acupuncture point for treating the weakness of Spleen and Stomach as well as the deficiency of Yin. And it may be used for treating menstrual disorder, nocturnal emission, impotence, enuresis, palpitation or sleeplessness.

Tai Xi is an acupuncture point for treating the weakness of Kidneys. It may be used for treating headache, dizziness, sleeplessness, forgetfulness, nocturnal emission, impotence, toothache, tinnitus, deafness, cough, shortness of breath, wasting-thirst, frequent urination, constipation, menstrual disorder, backache, low back pain, cold lower limbs or pain of ankles.

Yin Ling Quan is an acupuncture point for treating difficulty of urination, urinary incontinence, painful menstruation, nocturnal emission or knee pain.

The combination therapy of acupuncture points of Zu San Li, Shen Men, San Yin Jiao, Tai Xi and Yin Ling Quan has the effects of nourishing Qi and Blood and reconciling internal organs.

On the back, there are a lot of acupuncture points related to internal organs. Cupping on the acupuncture points of the Bladder Channel of Foot Taiyang is to treat the illness related to internal organs as well as emotional and mental diseases. It may restore the balance of sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems and facilitate the recovery of the body.

According to the clinical research of Wang Zhijuan, Liu Qinhua and Liu Jia, the combination therapy of acupuncture and cupping may significantly improve the physical and mental fatigue of people who suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome.

What do we need for the treatment?

For an effective treatment, high-quality needles and glass cups are necessary. Economical products also save your costs.

TCMstore offers acupuncture needles with Chinese style and Korean style from EAKU, ZYTH and Dong Bang. Our top pick is EAKU. EAKU offers a complete solution for acupuncture therapists, from a sample set to an economical box of one thousand needles. Guide tubes are also included in some packs. EAKU’s acupuncture needles have passed the CE quality certification.

For glass cups, TCM Goods is the top recommendation of TCMstore. It is our own brand, and we strictly control product details with our cooperation producer. Therefore, we can provide high-quality and very economical glass cups for our customers. You may find the glass cups from our website. The high-quality glass cups are comfortable to operate. The design of preventing slipping on the outer surface of a glass cup makes your hand easily and safely hold the glass cup. A stick with a cotton ball is also included in the box of glass cups.

References:

1. What is ME/CFS? https://www.cdc.gov/me-cfs/about/index.html

2. 针灸配合拔罐治疗慢性疲劳综合征, Mongolia Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Vol. 41 No. 7 2022