Thompson DP, et al. – This research entailed the investigation of the interrelations between pacing and levels of pain, disability and fatigue. Furthermore, it ascertained if the variations in activity pacing following participation in a symptom management programme, correlated with changes in clinical outcomes. The data disclosed that activity pacing was not found to be a notable determinant of pain, fatigue or disability in people with CFS/ME when measured with the chronic pain coping index. The utility and measurement of pacing necessitated additional analysis.

Methods

• The design of this research was a cross-sectional study.
• It assessed the link between pacing, pain, disability and fatigue (n = 114) and pre-post treatment longitudinal study of a cohort of patients participating in a symptom management programme (n = 35).
• It was performed at an out-patient physiotherapy CFS/ME service.
• They recruited one-hundred and fourteen adult patients with CFS/ME.
• The primary measure was the analysis of pacing through the chronic pain coping inventory.
• Pain was measured using a numeric pain rating scale, fatigue with the Chalder fatigue scale and disability with the fibromyalgia impact questionnaire.

Results

• There did not appear to be any marked correlations between activity pacing and levels of pain, disability or fatigue.
• Variations in pacing were not prominently linked with changes in pain, disability or fatigue following treatment.