artur737
18.09.07, 02:59
Japonska praca sugeruje, ze wysilek fizyczny pogarsza stan chorych z zespolem
przewleklego zmeczenia i fibromialgia. Sugestia lekarzy i przyjaciol typu 'wez
sie w garsc i poruszaj sie' jest wiec kula w plot.
Study Shows Exercise May Not Be What the Doctor Ordered for Your Fatigued Friend
Lourdes Salvador
September 7, 2007
Most people with chronic illnesses, such as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS),
fibromyalgia (FM), and multiple chemical sensitivities (MCS), have been
offered well meaning advice, such as joining a club, getting some exercise,
and getting out more. These infuriating, but well meaning, suggestions often
leave the chronically ill individual feeling misunderstood. After all, would
it be appropriate to tell an paraplegic to have fun by going dancing? Of
course not!
Well meaning friends often believe that chronic illness is psychological and
victims just need to get out and have fun. Or, they may believe that the
victim would not be tired if they got in shape. Or worse, they think the
illness is affecting the chronically ill person at a psychological level and
believe that to be the reason why the ill person does want to go out more
often. In reality, those with chronic illness are quite adept at pacing
themselves to avoid exhaustion. What friends fail to realize is that exertion
is exertion, regardless of work or play. Now science has stepped in to provide
evidence of this.
Researchers in Japan noted that patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)
report substantial symptom worsening after exercise and took an interest in
the specific time course of the worsening. They investigated the influence of
exercise on the subjective symptoms and cognitive function of 9 female CFS
patients and compared them with 9 healthy women. An exercise test was
conducted and monitoring of vital signs, cognitive function, and psychological
status was performed from one week prior to exercise until two weeks after
exercise.
Physical symptoms in the CFS patients did get worse on the fifth day. However
cognitive and psychological status remained constant. There was no cognitive
or psychological benefit to the exercise, yet patients became more fatigued
and suffered physical decline.
Regardless of pleasure or pain, exertion is exertion. Pleasurable exertion
holds the same fatiguing capability for the chronically ill as unpleasurable
exertion. And there are no psychological benefits to boot. The next time we
recommend to a CFS patient to get out more, have fun, and exercise, it might
be best to think twice and opt for a quite home movie that won’t make the
person sicker and more discouraged instead.
Reference
Yoshiuchi K, Cook DB, Ohashi K, Kumano H, Kuboki T, Yamamoto Y, Natelson BH. A
real-time assessment of the effect of exercise in chronic fatigue syndrome.
Physiol Behav. 2007 Jul 24.
About the Author
Lourdes Salvador is a writer and social advocate based in Hawaii. She is a
passionate advocate for the homeless, having worked with her local governor to
open new shelters and provide services to the homeless in a new approach to
end homelessness. That passion soon turned to advocacy and activism for
victims of multiple chemical sensitivity. Since 2006, she has been the
president of MCS America and a featured monthly writer for MCS America News.
She co-founded MCS Awareness in 2005. She also serves as Partner,
Environmental Education Week and Partner, Collaborative on Health and the
Environment (CHE). For more information about Lourdes and her advocacy work,
please visit: www.mcs-america.org, www.thetruthaboutmcs.blogspot.com, and
www.cafepress.com/mcsamerica.
