November 2008: ME Free For All: "It looks as though Dr Martin Edwards has read the NICE (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) guidelines for the treatment of M.E. (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis), which it bundles indiscriminately with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, since he seems to prefer the latter term and recommends the two treatments Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and Graded Exercise Treatment (GET) for it (Ask the Doc: Tired excuse, Chat, 6 November 2008).
I wonder if he is aware that the latest research, conducted by the very same people who advocate these treatments and/or administer them, both in this country and elsewhere (including Belgium, USA and Japan), consistently show that CBT has no lasting benefit, without relapse, for people with M.E. and a majority are worse after graded exercise, some irrecoverably so...
A key symptom of ME is post exertional malaise, i.e. disproportionate fatigue and exacerbation of symptoms after minor exertion, that can occur up to 72 hours later and can last a long time.
Graded Exercise Therapy (GET) was found to be positively harmful in over 30% of ME patients in a recent survey by Action for ME. Some patients have ended up in a wheelchair or bedbound since they tried it - what drug with these results would be recommended without a warning"
1 comment:
Thanks for posting this. Some CBT/GET researchers get their seemingly positive results from sampling bias that's so obvious, it's hard to believe they're able to publish anywhere.
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