Today (23rd July), the iPaper published an article entitled '75 people claim to be cured of chronic fatigue [ME/CFS] and Long Covid' which discusses “mind-body” techniques such as relaxation exercises and “brain retraining”, designed to dampen the body’s stress response. Dr Charles Shepherd, MEA Hon. Medical Adviser was interviewed by the journalist and has been quoted in the article.
Summary
- The ME Association explained to the iPaper that the Goldsmiths University Report appears to be making unsubstantiated claims about “cures” for ME/CFS and Long Covid based on “mind-body” therapies, relaxation techniques and “brain retraining”.
- The charity said people in the report may not have had confirmed diagnoses of ME/CFS or Long Covid, and could have had chronic fatigue from other causes.
- The ME Association questioned the report’s reliability because it has not been published in a medical journal or peer reviewed.
- The charity also noted that Dr Shepherd’s 20-minute interview and discussion was shortened for the article, meaning not all information provided to the journalist has been shared.
Extracts
The analysis of 75 people who recovered from one of the conditions, whose accounts have now been collected on a website run by Goldsmiths University of London, found most of who got better did so through “mind-body” techniques such as relaxation exercises and “brain retraining”, designed to dampen the body’s stress response.
But as these therapies are not officially recommended for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) or long Covid……
Background information
Goldsmiths University Report and press release: **These links has been provided for background information only.**
MEA Comment
The people in the report may not have had true ME/CFS or long Covid, but may just have had long-term fatigue from other causes.
“[ME/CFS] has become a label for all kinds of people who would not meet the clinical and research definitions for ME/CFS,” he said. “In some people, stress does play a role in maintaining these sort of conditions; these sorts of brain retraining treatments may well be helpful.”
And the report was unreliable because it has not been published in a medical journal.
N.B. Dr Shepherd did a 20-min interview with the journalist, however as sometimes happens with the media his comments have been abridged within this article.
Dr Charles Shepherd,
Trustee and Hon. Medical Adviser to the ME Association,
Member of the 2018-2021 NICE guideline on ME/CFS committee,
Member of the 2002 Chief Medical Officer's Working Group on ME/CFS
