The Nature of Fatigue in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

[Dolphin]

http://qhr.sagepub.com/content/early/2015/02/25/1049732315573954.abstract

The Nature of Fatigue in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Qual Health Res. 2015 Feb 26. pii: 1049732315573954. [Epub ahead of print]

Olson K1, Zimka O2, Stein E3.

Abstract

In this article, we report the findings of our study on the nature of fatigue in patients diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Using ethnoscience as a design, we conducted a series of unstructured interviews and card sorts to learn more about how people with chronic fatigue syndrome describe fatigue.

Participants (N = 14) described three distinct domains: tiredness, fatigue, and exhaustion.

Most participants experienced tiredness prior to diagnosis, fatigue during daily life, and exhaustion after overexertion.

We also discuss participants' ability to adapt to a variety of stressors and prevent shifts to exhaustion, and relate our findings to stress theory and other current research.

Primary strategies that promoted adaptation to stressors included pacing and extended rest periods.

These findings can aid health care professionals in detecting impending shifts between tiredness, fatigue, and exhaustion and in improving adaptive strategies, thereby improving quality of life.

KEYWORDS:
coping and adaptation; ethnoscience; fatigue / exhaustion; illness and disease, experiences; stress / distress; theory development

PMID:

25721719

[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

 

[Dolphin]

This is a sympathetic exploration of the difference experiences (symptoms, losses, etc.) people with CFS go through.

Its conclusion is that various pacing and energy envelope techniques could be useful for patients to manage their condition.

It is quite good in terms of describing the problems of over-exerting and the payback patients can face.

 

[Dolphin]

 

[Denise]

Thanks for pointing this out @Dolphin.
It looks like quite an interesting read. (Wish it were open access.)

 

[Dolphin]

Thanks for pointing this out @Dolphin.
It looks like quite an interesting read. (Wish it were open access.)

A while yet but each September and October, Sage Publications (the publisher of this paper) have a free trial period for access to their publications.

 

[barbc56]

Thanks! I had not heard or possibly forgotten the term ethnoscience, though I have heard a bit about the concept but even that is limited.

Will definitely read this. Right now I have so many things bookmarked to read, it's hard to keep up.

This looks intriguing.

Barb