Have you tried some mild exercise?
People who have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome can actually help their condition with the introduction of exercise, which many sufferers believe will make them feel worse.
Exercise as a therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy have been identified as being the most effective ways to treat CFS, which is also called myalgic encephalomyelitis or ME.
CFS has been challenged from the beginning as many doctors believed that the condition didn’t exist at first. However, it has been found that 250,000 people suffer from extreme exhaustion in the UK alone.
Some patients have argued that doing more physical activity has made them feel no better, so there is still speculation as to whether it will work for the majority of cases.
The team at Kings College London found that “reduction in fear avoidance beliefs” was the main factor –making up 60 per cent of the overall effect of the two therapies.
Professor Trudie Chalder, who led the research, said that the findings were only indicative of how cognitive therapy and exercise therapy can help the patient not what causes CFS.
It is understandable that patients might think that increased exercise could hinder their progress and too much physical activity before their bodies are ready indeed can make the situation worse. The message seems to be that the form of exercise should be individually selected for each patient.
Sonya Chowdhury, CEO of the charity Action for ME, said: “This does not mean that ME or CFS is a psychological illness... Nor do we believe that people with ME are afraid of taking part in appropriate activity or exercise – appropriate activity might involve a short walk or, for someone with severe ME, small movements of even sitting up in bed.”