Chronic fatigue syndrome comes with a wide-range of symptoms – from fatigue, muscle pain and insomnia, to a recurring sore throat, headache and swollen lymph nodes. While there is no test to identify it, symptoms can persist for years, and many people suffering from it remain undiagnosed, according to an article on Emaxhealth.com.
A new review, published in BMC Complementary & Alternative Medicine, evaluated the results of 26 randomized controlled trials, involving a total of 3,273 individuals participating, using complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) techniques including mind-body medicine (qigong, meditation, distance healing), massage, tuina (a type of Chinese manipulative therapy) and tai chi, homeopathy, ginseng, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH), and dietary supplements, the report stated.
Results included the following:
– Qigong and meditation were helpful for fatigue.
– Massage helped fatigue, depression, pain and insomnia.
– Tuina provided positive effects.
– Most of the supplements did not show any benefit except for magnesium and NADH.
The reviewers concluded that given the lack of effective treatments from the conventional medicine realm, and the relative safety of natural remedies, those suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome may find relief from these options, according to the report.