NCT05289154

Acupressure and Qigong in Chronic Fatigue Post COVID-19.

Self- Applied Acupressure and Online Qigong for Patients Suffering From Chronic Fatigue After Corona Virus Infection 19 (COVID-19) - a Randomized Controlled Mixed-methods Study.

• Status: Unknown
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 200 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Charite University, Berlin, Germany · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 60 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

International observational studies confirm the high incidence of post-infectious residual syndrome after infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-COV2), which can occur in 10-15% of all infected persons, regardless of the severity of the acute infection. Post corona virus disease 19 (postCOVID-19) patients suffer mostly from symptoms such as fatigue, muscle pain, problems to focus, depression and sleep disturbances. So far, there are no results of interventional studies for the treatment of chronic fatigue post COVID-19, but there are indicators that post COVID-19 syndrome is a chronic subclinical inflammation, similar to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome / Myalgic Encephalomyelitis CSF/ME, which also often develops from a postviral syndrome. Previously tested and effective strategies for the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome / myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) will be tested in the treatment of chronic fatigue postCOVID-19, in this randomized controlled trial a combination of acupressure and Qigong. The aim of this project is to evaluate an acupressure treatment plus a Qigong exercise series specifically tailored for chronic fatigue postCOVID-19 , used daily by the patients themselves and regularly supervised, in comparison to the advice literature on the treatment of PostCOVID-19 syndrome alone.

Detailed description

Prospective two-arm (parallel groups) randomised controlled confirmatory intervention study with mixed methods approach in 2x 100 patients (n=200). Intervention: self-applied acupressure and online Qigong course over 8 weeks and follow up at week 16. Group 1: Acupressure + Qigong: Massage of the points daily for 3 minutes per point with the finger or an acupuncture pen (some points can be massaged bilaterally, therefore total approx. 20 min). In addition, twice a week an online guided Qigong course with a duration of 30-45 min. The patients should practise Qigong at least 3 times a week (including the course date). In addition, all patients will receive the guidebook literature for the treatment of complaints after SARS-CoV2 infection. Group 2: Patients will receive advice literature on the treatment of chronic fatigue after SARS-CoV2 infection. After the end of this study the patients of this group will receive written information and video material regarding the acupressure and Qigong exercises.

Conditions

• COVID-19
• Post-COVID-19 Syndrome

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	self- applied acupressure plus Qigong course plus advice literature	daily self applied acupressure over 20min plus 2 times per week online live Qigong course of each 45min- both over 8 weeks.
BEHAVIORAL	advice literature with naturopathy	advice literature with naturopathic remedies will be handed out and application will be supported with dairies and phone calls

Timeline

• Start date: 2022-06-14
• Primary completion: 2023-09-01
• Completion: 2023-10-01
• First posted: 2022-03-21
• Last updated: 2023-01-23

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Germany