The battle continues to rage over the definition of chronic fatigue syndrome and whether exercise and cognitive therapies are the best pain management options for CFS. While it might be all over the news and sparking heated conversations in medical circles, the fundamental truth remains that chronic fatigue syndrome is a life-altering condition that requires constant management.

Last week we discussed the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome, as well as the controversy that surrounds the definition of CFS. Besides the fact that there are still many aspects of this condition that are not fully  understood, treatment and pain management continues to be a crucial facet of getting back into life.

Exercise Therapy for CFS

Many pain doctors and researchers hold true to the fact that exercise should be an integral part of CFS treatment. According to WebMD, as well as Mayo Clinic, beginning a graded exercise program, in which the level of exercise starts out easy and gradually grow more challenging, is crucial to recovery. Studies have shown that a carefully planned exercise program can help people with chronic fatigue syndrome regain their strength and energy and fell better.

As your pain doctor puts together a multidisciplinary team of medical experts, a physical therapist or physiologist will play a huge role in your pain management. And the key to exercise for CFS is the focus on “Graded” exercise.

Graded Exercise

Basically, all this means is that you start your physical therapy and exercise sessions out very, very slowly. Many ‘spoonies’ who are living with chronic pain like fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome can’t even imagine having the energy to move from the bed on most days. Fear, guilt and depression also play huge roles in treatment for CFS, which is why ‘graded’ exercise is an achievable goal.

On a good day, you might feel as if you can take on the world and do more than the routine exercise. While it might feel that way at the moment, doing more than your custom, graded exercise routine on a good day can cause a relapse of your symptoms and make your bad days even worse. This is why graded exercise programs must be custom created for you and supervised by your physical therapist, pain doctor or physiologist.

Cognitive Therapy

As mentioned, one of the principal symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome is a patient’s mental state. CFS is a proven chronic condition that affects millions of Americans, many (up to 30%) of which don’t even know they have CFS due to misdiagnosis. Cognitive behavior therapy is used concurrently with graded exercise to improve your mind and body simultaneously.

Studies have shown that cognitive behavior therapy along with graded exercise can dramatically improve symptoms and help patients feel better. The key is sticking with treatment for long enough to see positive results. Your pain doctor will bring an expert therapist on-board who can help you learn how to think accurately about your situation instead of letting fear and guilt guide your feelings and control your behaviors.

Don’t be fooled, cognitive therapy is not about “tricking” your mind into thinking positively about chronic pain, it’s about thinking truthfully and with purpose. Cognitive therapy, according to WebMD, can help patients learn to let go of beliefs and fears about CFS that may be contributing to inactivity, thus keeping you from participating fully in your graded exercise treatments. With therapy, you can learn how to calm your mind and your body so that you can feel better, think more clearly, and make better decisions.

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