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| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Acupressure and Qigong in post-infectious fatigue with impaired physical function: a randomized clinical trial |
| Creators: |
Dietzel, Joanna, Bauer, Theresa, Tissen-Diabaté, Tatjana, Ortiz, Miriam, Siewert, Julia, Bellmann-Strobl, Judith  ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2615-1643, Engelhardt, Ute, Roll, Stephanie, Grabowska, Weronika, Scheibenbogen, Carmen, Willich, Stefan N., Paul, Friedemann ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6378-0070 and Brinkhaus, Benno
|
| Abstract: | BACKGROUND: Post-COVID Syndrome (PCS) is characterized by a variety of symptoms including fatigue and impaired physical function. The aim of the ACUQiG-study was to investigate the therapeutic effects and safety of a self-care program combining acupressure and Qigong on physical function in PCS patients with post-infectious fatigue. METHODS: In this two-arm, open-label randomized controlled study, patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and persisting fatigue and ≥3 other typical PCS symptoms >12 weeks were enrolled. Patients were randomized to an intervention group receiving an 8-week daily self-applied acupressure regimen performed at home plus twice-weekly online Qigong sessions, or to a control group receiving no study intervention in the first 16 weeks. Both groups received written self-care advice on complementary medicine treatments and continued routine care. The primary outcome was physical function at 8 weeks measured via the SF-36 Physical Functioning Subscale (SF-36 PFS). Secondary outcomes included fatigue measured by the Chalder Fatigue Scale (CFS), responder analysis, and safety outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 235 participants (85.1% women; mean age 42.1 years) were randomized (n = 118 intervention, n = 117 controls). At week 8, the adjusted between-group difference in SF-36 PFS was 4.2 points (95% CI −0.9 to 9.4; p = 0.109) with a mean of 55.4 (51.8–59.1) in the intervention group vs. 51.2 (47.6–54.9) in the control group. Responder analysis (≥10-point improvement) suggested a favorable trend for the intervention group (58.9% vs. 46.3%; odds ratio 1.69 (95% CI, 0.98 to 2.92, p = 0.058). The intervention group showed slightly greater improvements in Chalder Fatigue Scale scores [mean at week 8, 21.4 (95% CI 20.2–22.6) vs. 23.2 (95% CI 22.0–24.3), p = 0.040] compared to the control group. Overall, the self-applied study intervention was safe, but aggravation of preexisting symptoms occurred. CONCLUSION: Both groups improved over time; the addition of acupressure and Qigong to a self-care advice leaflet did not provide a statistically significant or clinically relevant improvement in physical function compared to the leaflet alone. Further high-quality clinical trials are needed to investigate the effects of multimodal self-care programs for managing PCS-related fatigue and physical function. |
| Keywords: | Acupressure, Long COVID, Post COVID-19 Syndrome, Post-Infectious Fatigue, Qigong, Randomized Controlled Trial, SARS-CoV2 |
| Source: | Frontiers in Medicine |
| ISSN: | 2296-858X |
| Publisher: | Frontiers Media SA |
| Volume: | 13 |
| Page Range: | 1872035 |
| Date: | 10 August 2026 |
| Official Publication: | https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2026.1872035 |
| PubMed: | View item in PubMed |
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