Interventions for the Treatment and Management of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Abstract

Overall, the interventions demonstrated mixed results in terms of effectiveness. All conclusions about effectiveness should be considered together with the methodological inadequacies of the studies. Interventions which have shown promising results include cognitive behavioral therapy and graded exercise therapy. Further research into these and other treatments is required using standardized outcome measures.

Physical exercise as adjuvant therapy for patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

“…Further positive effects of exercise therapy were found in relation to cancer patients' fatigue status. Consistent with the reviews of Mock, 8,27 Stricker et al, 17 Wagner et al 18 and Whiting et al, 45 studies on exercise interventions for HSCT patients also indicate that physical exercise (in particular endurance/ aerobic exercise) is a well-suited therapy strategy to fight cancer-and treatment-related fatigue. This seems to be mainly the case for the phase after hospitalization.…”

Treatment of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome with Antibiotics: Pilot Study Assessing the Involvement of Coxiella burnetii Infection

“…On the other hand, as we previously reported elsewhere, the QFS patients in this study achieved improvements in subjective symptoms, which enabled some of them to lead normal social lives and pursue their careers. It has been documented that antidepressants, analgesics and hypnotics are prescribed to treat CFS (19). Some investigators have even administered antiviral therapy (20).…”

Cognitive-behavior therapy: why is it so vilified in the chronic fatigue syndrome community?

“…[15] Whiting et al [16] in her review of behavioral intervention studies in CFS presented the logical possibility that patients' perceptions of improvement could be due to lowered expectations of their abilities, rather than objectively heightened functioning that might be expected from a treatment protocol that encourages increasing activity levels. There is some evidence to support this interpretation.…”