Submaximal aerobic exercise with mechanical vibrations improves the functional status of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.
OBJECTIVE
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is an illness characterised by disabling fatigue of uncertain aetiology and other nonspecific symptoms. Typically CFS patients complain of a severe fatigue made worse by exercise, with a consistent reduction of working activity. A physical deconditioning could explain CFS features as well as a neuromuscular dysfunction, of central or peripheric origin.


METHODS
Ten CFS patients were enrolled in a protocol of a rehabilitative treatment over a six-month period: they underwent a submaximal and predominantly aerobic exercise with a reduced O2 consumption using a Galileo 2000 system that provides mechanical vibrations characterised by sinusoid vertical sollecitations. Before and after such treatment, all patients underwent a pressure pain thresholds profile, an evaluation of physical and psychosocial parameters using the visual analogue scale (VAS) of Scott-Huskisson, and a muscle performance analysis by the CIBEX 6000 dynamometer.


RESULTS
After the six-month period of study there was an overall improvement of the above described parameters as compared to the basal determinations.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that the rehabilitative exertion provides an useful treatment for CFS patients particularly to realize an effective training of the explosive strength.
Saggini
R
R
Physical Therapy Institute, Department of Medicine and Aging, G. D'Annunzio University, Chieti, Italy.
Vecchiet
J
J
Iezzi
S
S
Racciatti
D
D
Affaitati
G
G
Bellomo
R G
RG
Pizzigallo
E
E
D000328:Adult; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D015673:Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017288:Pain Threshold; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014732:Vibration / Q000627:therapeutic use*